ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Iran would "have to pay the price" for delays in negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce.
"They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The remarks come as Washington and Tehran remain engaged in efforts to transform the fragile April 8 ceasefire into a lasting settlement following the six-week war that began on February 28. The first round of post-war negotiations concluded on April 11 without a final agreement.
In a separate post, Trump said the US had imposed what he described as an unprecedented naval blockade on Iran. The two countries have engaged in reciprocal maritime measures.
"Iran is doing ZERO business, not paying their military, or any of their bills, and quickly becoming a FAILED NATION! Lots of oil is getting out," he wrote.
Iran tightened its control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports beginning April 13.
Trump's comments marked a sharp shift in tone from remarks he made to reporters on Tuesday, when he said negotiations were in their "final throes" and suggested a deal could be reached within "two or three days."
The blockade has been accompanied by repeated confrontations in and around the Strait of Hormuz. US forces have intercepted drones and conducted maritime interdictions targeting vessels accused of supporting Iran, while Tehran has continued to enforce its own transit restrictions through the strategic waterway.
Late Tuesday, US forces said they carried out strikes against Iran in retaliation for the downing of an American military helicopter near the coast of Oman on Monday. CENTCOM said two crew members from the US Army AH-64 Apache were rescued safely within around two hours after the aircraft went down, with the cause of the incident remaining under investigation.
Iran said on Wednesday that it had responded by targeting American military bases in Jordan and Bahrain, marking a further escalation in the confrontation between the two countries despite continued diplomatic contacts.
