Trump says Iran will ‘pay the price’ for delayed negotiations
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
US President Donald Trump has said Iran delayed negotiations for too long and now it will face serious consequences, reiterating that Tehran’s military capabilities have been severely weakened. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Iran’s armed forces had been effectively dismantled, asserting that its military infrastructure, including naval and air power, had suffered overwhelming losses. “Iran talks a lot but delivers little,” Trump wrote, describing the country as a diminished force in the region. He added that Iran had missed the opportunity to secure what he called a favourable agreement and would now have to bear the consequences of that decision. Speaking separately to Fox News, Trump said he was close to authorising additional strikes against Iranian infrastructure, including power facilities and bridges, if Iranian authorities refused to sign a deal. In another Truth Social post, Trump criticised media coverage of the ongoing US blockade against Iran, arguing that news organisations were failing to highlight its effectiveness. He described the operation as unprecedented in the history of naval warfare and claimed that all shipments were being tightly controlled. Trump further claimed that Iran’s economy was under severe strain, saying the country was struggling to conduct business, meet military expenses, and pay its bills. He claimed the pressure campaign was pushing Iran toward economic collapse, while also asserting that significant volumes of oil were continuing to leave the country. US airstrikes in Sirik cut drinking water access for thousands