Donald Trump has accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire by firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz and signalled negotiations while warning of strong action if no deal is reached.
In a post on his social platform Truth Social, Trump said shots were aimed at a French vessel and a UK freighter, calling the incident a “total violation.” He added that US representatives would travel to Islamabad, expected to arrive “tomorrow evening,” without providing details on the agenda or participants.
Trump also said Iran’s announcement about closing the Strait of Hormuz was unnecessary because, he claimed, a US-led blockade had already stopped movement in the area. He argued such a closure would damage Iran economically — estimating losses up to $500 million per day — and suggested the US would not suffer similarly.
Trump criticised the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for escalating tensions and said the United States had offered a “fair and reasonable deal.” He warned of severe consequences if Iran rejected it: “If they don’t take the deal, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” adding, “No more Mr Nice Guy.”
Despite the hardline language, Trump indicated he still believes a negotiated outcome is possible. ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl quoted Trump calling the incident a “serious violation” but saying he was confident a peace deal could be reached.
“It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way,” Trump said, as quoted by Karl.
President Trump tells me Iran has committed a “serious violation” of the ceasefire but he still thinks he can get a peace deal:
“It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way. It’s going to happen. You can quote me.”
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) April 19, 2026
(Edited by : priyanka deshpande)
First Published:
Apr 19, 2026 6:25 PM
IST
