Washington DC [US], April 19 : Ahead of the expiry on Tuesday of the two-week ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump in the conflict with Iran, US media outlets reported on Sunday that negotiators Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions and Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad for talks with Iran.
President Trump's Middle East envoy is headed to Pakistan this week to restart negotiations to end the Iran War, the US commander-in-chief told The New York Post.
"Steve's going to be going there tomorrow night," Trump said in a phone call on Sunday from the White House to the New York Post, confirming that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will land in Islamabad on Monday night ahead of a second round of peace talks, according to the New York Post. The president added that Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, will also be involved with the talks scheduled for Tuesday.
In an interview with Fox News's Trey Yingst today, Trump said there is an ongoing fight between "moderates" and "crazies" in Iran amid negotiations with the US while confirming that Kushner and Witkoff were departing for Islamabad for talks.
"If the deal isn't done, the deal that we made, then I'm going to take out their bridges and their power plants," Trump said. "If they don't sign this thing, the whole country is going to get blown up." Fox News cited Trump as saying.
"We're preparing to hit them harder than any country has ever been hit before because you cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," the US President continued as per the US broadcaster. Trump went on to say that Iran has "agreed to much" of the deal already.
Meanwhile, in a post on Truth Social today, he warned of severe repercussions, including an attack on Iranian energy and civil infrastructure, if Iran "doesn't take the deal."
"Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz -- A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn't nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan -- They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations."
On the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, he claimed that it was Iran on the losing end with the closure causing a loss of USD 500 million per day to the country while claiming that the "United States loses nothing".
He reiterated the assertion of a fair deal on the table for Iran and said that he would no longer remain a "nice guy" and that the US would strike Iran's power plants and bridges.
"Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it. They're helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be "the tough guy!" We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They'll come down fast, they'll come down easy and, if they don't take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT'S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!", Trump said.


The two-week ceasefire is set to end on April 22. CNN reported that Iran has not immediately confirmed the plans.The first round of ceasefire negotiations ended in a gridlock between Tehran and Washington over the energy artery- Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear capacities.