'Deal or total surrender': Trump issues stark ultimatum to Iran, claims US controls Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, declaring that its leadership has only two options: strike a deal with Washington or face what he called "total surrender."
In a lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump accused Tehran of acting "duplicitously", claiming Iranian officials had privately sought negotiations while publicly denying that any talks were taking place.
"Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades," Trump wrote.
Claims US has full control of Strait of Hormuz
Trump also dismissed Iran's repeated assertions over the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital waterway through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas supplies passes.
Mocking Tehran's claims, he wrote that the strait was already "completely controlled" by the US Navy and what he described as America's "Wall of Steel."
"They then go on to give their usual blather in saying the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy," Trump said.
He further warned that access to Iran through the strait would remain under US control.
"Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished," he added.
Military strike put on hold
Trump's latest remarks came a day after he revealed that he had postponed what he described as "the biggest attack since World War II" against Iran.
Speaking on Sunday, the US President said he decided against launching the operation after leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE urged restraint and encouraged diplomacy.
Trump also claimed unnamed Iranian officials had reached out, prompting Washington to pursue negotiations instead of military action.
"Now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon," he said, without disclosing who would participate in the talks.
Iran rejects Trump's negotiation claim
Tehran swiftly rejected Trump's assertion that negotiations with the United States were about to begin.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that no talks with Washington were currently underway.
He clarified that Iran's only ongoing discussions were with Oman, and those talks were limited to facilitating temporary safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz rather than addressing broader political or security issues.
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