U.S. President Donald Trump said a "great deal" will be reached with Iran in negotiations to end the conflict.
Speaking in a phone interview with CNBC on the morning of the 21st (local time), a day before the ceasefire deadline, Trump said, "Iran has no choice." Asked whether the ceasefire could be extended further, Trump said, "I don't want to do that," adding, "There is not much time." Trump had previously set the ceasefire deadline for the evening of the 22nd U.S. Eastern Time (the morning of the 23rd Korea time).
Trump reiterated his earlier claim that Iran could prosper depending on the outcome of the negotiations. "Iran has to show reason and common sense," he stressed. "Then it can be reborn as a legitimate nation rather than one based on death and fear." The remarks are interpreted to mean that if Iran gives up uranium enrichment over a long period, it will be granted measures such as the lifting of economic sanctions, and it should therefore take a forward-looking stance.
Trump: "Iran Has Violated Ceasefire Multiple Times... Surprised by China's Gift to Iran"
Trump also warned that bombing would resume if the negotiations fail. "We are much stronger than we were four or five weeks ago," he said. "We used this period to replenish our (weapons) stockpiles. Our military is ready to launch." Before the CNBC interview, he took a hardline stance on Truth Social, posting, "Iran has violated the ceasefire agreement multiple times!"
The United States recently seized a sanctioned cargo ship bound from China to Iran through a reverse blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said, "We seized a ship carrying a rather unwelcome gift sent from China. I was really surprised, because I thought U.S.-China relations were very good and that I had a rapport with President Xi Jinping." He added, "But it's fine. That's the way war is."
U.S. Seizes Iran-Linked Tanker in Indo-Pacific... Iran Says "Delegation Has Not Departed"
Tensions at sea are escalating. The Iranian military's public affairs office claimed that "the Iranian tanker Silicity passed through the Arabian Sea last night with the support of naval operations and entered Iranian territorial waters." It also said, "The U.S. Navy, which carries out terrorism, repeatedly warned and threatened the Silicity, but with the perfect security support of the Iranian Navy, it entered territorial waters and docked at one of Iran's southern ports." Iran's state-run television reported the same day that "the Iranian delegation has not yet departed for Pakistan."
The U.S. Department of Defense (Department of War) seized a sanctioned vessel linked to Iran within the area of responsibility of the Indo-Pacific Command. The Department of Defense said on X (formerly Twitter) that "Indo-Pacific Command successfully carried out a boarding operation on the sanctioned tanker Tiffany, of unknown nationality, within its area of responsibility on the night of the 20th." The department stressed, "We will continue maritime interdiction activities to block sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate."
Trump: "I Will Remember Companies That Don't File for Tariff Refunds"
In the CNBC interview, when asked whether the United States could enter into some form of currency swap with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if it wanted one, Trump took a forward-looking stance, saying, "The UAE has been a great help to the United States," and "If I can help, I want to help." According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the UAE is said to have delivered a currency swap proposal to the United States at a finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting held in Washington D.C. last week, aimed at calming market instability stemming from the Iran war.
Trump also said he would "remember" companies that do not file for tariff refunds. When the host asked, "Many companies, including Apple and Amazon, have not yet filed for tariff refunds. It is said that this is because they are worried about upsetting the president," Trump replied, "If they don't do it, I will remember them."
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that reciprocal tariffs were unlawful, and a portal for applications to refund collected tariffs was opened on the 20th. U.S. media estimate that the total tariffs to be refunded will exceed $160 billion (approximately 236 trillion won). Trump's remarks are seen as indicating that if companies do not file for refunds, he will remember those companies and may later provide them with tangible or intangible benefits.
