Trump: The US-Iran talks are going well; most issues have been agreed upon, but the only truly important issue—the nuclear issue—remains unresolved. Effective immediately, the US Navy will begin a blockade of any ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. I have also ordered the US Navy to search for and intercept every ship in international waters that has paid “transit fees” to Iran. Anyone who has paid such illegal transit fees will not be allowed safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines Iran has laid in the Strait. Any Iranians who dare to fire on us or peaceful vessels will be blown to bits! Iran knows better than anyone how to end this war that has destroyed their country. Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their air defenses and radar systems are useless, Khamenei and most of their leaders are dead—all because of their nuclear ambitions. The blockade is about to begin, and other countries will join in. Iran will not be allowed to profit from this illegal extortion. They want money, but more importantly, they want nuclear weapons.

Trump: Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, yet knowingly violated it. This has brought anxiety, chaos, and suffering to many countries and people around the world. They claim to have laid mines in the strait, even though their navy and most of their "mine-laying boats" have been completely destroyed. They may have indeed laid mines, but which ship owner would take that risk? The reputation of Iran and its remaining "leaders" has suffered immense shame and permanent damage. As they promised, they had better set out immediately to open this international waterway! They are violating all the laws. I have received a full briefing from Vice President Vance, Special Envoy Witkov, and Kushner on the meeting held in Islamabad. The meeting, chaired by Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif, went very well. They are all very distinguished people, and they kept thanking me for saving 30 to 50 million lives in the war with India, which would otherwise have been a horrific war. I am always grateful to hear this—the humanity they displayed is incredible. The talks with Iran began in the early morning and lasted until late at night, nearly 20 hours. I could elaborate on the content of the talks and talk about the many achievements we made, but only one thing is crucial: Iran is unwilling to relinquish its nuclear ambitions! In many respects, the consensus we reached was better than continuing military operations until the end, but all of that consensus pales in comparison to having nuclear energy in the hands of such a capricious and elusive nation. As time went on, my three representatives, unsurprisingly, became very friendly and respectful to the Iranian representatives, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but this was not important because they remained uncompromising on the most important issues. As I have always said, from the very beginning, even many years ago, Iran will never possess nuclear weapons!