Intervention Needed to Restart Stalled Iran Talks
April 23—An intervention by President Donald Trump or one of his top emissaries is likely necessary to restart stalled talks on an Iran peace plan in Islamabad, sources report, who also say they are not sure whether the President understands this. Iran will not come back to the table, these sources say, unless Trump provides a clear assurance that the blockade of Iranian ports that handle traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is lifted and there will be no further seizures of Iranian vessels.
Ceasefire Extension Complicated by Policy Contradictions
Trump had announced that he was extending the ceasefire agreement indefinitely to allow for the Iranians to formulate a negotiating position and for talks to restart, which he thought could have happened yesterday. He said he was putting the deployment of Vice President JD Vance and the American negotiating team on hold, until there was confirmation of Iran's participation in the talks. The President said that he had taken these actions at the request of Pakistani leaders who were mediating the process.
But in making his announcement of the ceasefire extension, the President also said that he was leaving the blockade of Iranian port traffic in effect. This prompted Iranian officials to denounce the ceasefire as "fake" in that the Americans were violating it with their blockade. They further stated that they had no intention of negotiating under threat and made no announcement of plans to restart talks.
The sources, who have talked to Iranians, say that there will be no progress unless Trump changes his position. "Look, this so-called blockade has already produced dangerous confrontations, and seizures of ships at sea," said a source. "When considering all that is at stake in these talks, the blockade is a stupidly provocative policy. It gives the Iranians yet another reason not to trust Trump."
Internal Divisions and Hardline Influence
This and other sources report that the policy came from the lunatic war hawks within Trump's team, headed by Secretary of War "Crusader" Pete Hegseth and people in Treasury who thought that the blockade served as an "active, living sanction against Iran" that would severely hurt Tehran by denying it access to trade in oil at the new, higher market prices caused by the war—at least, that is what they told Trump, who has made his current distaste for war known to everyone within earshot. "But I think these guys really saw it as a way to blow up the negotiations and restart the war," said a source. "That's why [Israeli Prime Minister] Bibi Netanyahu backs it. He and Hegseth want to continue their crusade against Iran, until it no longer exists as a viable nation. They are willing to risk hundreds of thousands of American lives and more for this holy crusade against evil."
“The United States believes that the situation in Iran is the same as the situation after the 12-day war,'' according to a piece published yesterday by Tasnim, the semiofficial Iranian news agency. "However, the current period has a fundamental difference, and that is Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. If America wants to maintain the shadow of war, it should know that the Strait of Hormuz will remain completely closed.”
Escalating Rhetoric and High-Stakes Outlook
Trump, himself, is desperate to show that he’s winning the war. “Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!),” he posted last night on Truth Social. “They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to ‘save face.’ People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”
About three hours later, he added: “Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!”
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has bragged about his role in undermining Iran’s banking system last year, so as provoke panic, protests, and a regime change, announced yesterday: “The Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global energy markets and indiscriminate targeting of civilians with missiles and drones. Under @POTUS leadership, as part of Economic Fury, the Treasury will continue to follow the money and target the Iranian regime’s recklessness and those who enable it. Today, as part of Economic Fury, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is sanctioning 14 targets for their involvement in helping the Iranian regime obtain weapons. As the regime attempts to reconstitute its production capacity, the United States will continue to deplete.”
Bessent, who is gay, reportedly hates the Tehran regime for its treatment of homosexuals.
So, it would appear that the blockade strategy comes out of a network deeply embedded in the Trump administration, which would make it difficult for Trump to go against. But that is precisely what he must do if he wants to end this war before it becomes more of a global catastrophe that will effectively end his Presidency. "The next 48 hours are critical," said a source close to the White House.