U.S. signals no agreement without Tehran abandoning nuclear program as stalled negotiations, mounting pressure, and regional tensions shape next phase of diplomacy
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will not agree to any deal with Iran unless Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions, setting a clear red line ahead of a possible second round of U.S.–Iran peace talks after the first round failed to produce an agreement.
“Well, first of all, if they don’t, we’re not making a deal,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News that aired April 15. “There’s no deal.”
He added that the core objective of U.S. policy toward Iran remains unchanged.
“This whole thing is really about no nuclear—they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
His remarks come as Washington and Tehran consider another round of negotiations after talks in Pakistan on April 12 ended without a breakthrough.
In an April 14 interview with the New York Post, Trump said a second round of talks could take place “over the next two days,” noting discussions had been moving “a little bit slow.” He initially suggested a European venue before indicating the talks were more likely to return to Islamabad, where Pakistani officials have been facilitating dialogue.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the primary obstacle in the first round was Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning nuclear weapons development.
“Whether we have further conversations, whether we ultimately get to a deal, I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table,” Vance said in an April 13 interview with Fox News.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear ambitions are civilian and peaceful, a position reiterated on April 14 by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
Cited by state-run media Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Baqaei said Iran has never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons, dismissing U.S. claims as a pretext for hostility.
He added that Iran will soon host a senior Pakistani delegation in Tehran and confirmed that exchanges with the United States continue through Islamabad’s mediation. While affirming diplomacy, Baqaei said Tehran insists on its right to enrich uranium, though it remains open to discussions about the level and type, according to state outlet Tasnim News Agency.
Iran’s Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna said in an April 15 post on X that claims Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons are false, rejecting assertions that the country is weeks away from developing such capabilities and noting similar claims have been made for decades.
The mission reiterated that Iran has not chosen to develop nuclear weapons and continues to assert its right to peaceful nuclear energy.
Iran’s late leader Ali Khamenei banned the development of nuclear weapons in a religious decree in the early 2000s, reaffirming in 2019 that producing and stockpiling nuclear arms is forbidden. Khamenei was killed when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
In a March 2025 report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei had not reauthorized the program suspended in 2003.
A 2026 ODNI report noted that prior to Operation Epic Fury in February, Iran had developed space-launch vehicles that could potentially support an intercontinental ballistic missile program by 2035 if pursued.
The report also stated Iran was seeking to recover from damage to its nuclear infrastructure during the 12-Day War and had not complied with obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency, including denying access to key facilities.
Following the unsuccessful Islamabad talks, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, intensifying economic pressure on Tehran.
United States Central Command said on April 14 that the blockade was fully enforced within a day, with multiple vessels turning back after being denied access to Iranian ports.
Adm. Brad Cooper said the U.S. military had effectively halted most of Iran’s seaborne trade, noting that about 90 percent of the country’s economy depends on maritime activity.
“In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Cooper said.
Central Command added that freedom of navigation remains in place for ships not traveling to or from Iran, with more than 10,000 U.S. personnel and over a dozen warships enforcing the blockade.
The developments come amid major shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies, after Iran imposed its own restrictions in response to U.S.–Israeli strikes, slowing Gulf crude shipments significantly.
Senior Iranian military officials have warned of escalation. Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi said Tehran views U.S. maritime actions as approaching a breach of the cease-fire and warned that Iranian forces are prepared to block imports and exports across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea in retaliation.
Despite rising tensions, Trump said in an April 14 Fox News interview that diplomacy remains possible.
“I think they want to make a deal very badly,” he said, adding that Iran has been “hit very hard” by weeks of military operations.
“I don’t know how much longer they can survive. I don’t know how much longer they can go,” he said, adding that he believes the war is “close to over.”
Trump said the United States retains the option to escalate further but is exercising restraint to allow room for negotiations.
