Trump warns US will take Iran's nuclear dust by force if no deal reached

President Donald Trump warned Friday that the US will retrieve Iran's nuclear dust by force if a deal is not reached, while ruling out any tolls on the Strait of Hormuz. "We'll go in with Iran, and we will take it together, and we will bring it back to the US," Trump told reporters on the way back to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. "If we don't do that, we will get it in a different form—a much more unfriendly form."

Ceasefire expiration

Asked whether he would extend the ceasefire or restart attacks if no deal is reached by Wednesday, when the two-week truce mediated by Pakistan expires, Trump left the door open to renewed strikes. "Maybe, I won't extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won't extend it, so you have a blockade, and unfortunately, we have to start dropping bombs again," he said.

Iran's position

On claims by Iran that differences remain, Trump said: "They have to say something different because they have people they have to cater to. I'm just saying it like it is."

No tolls on Hormuz

About potential tolls on the strait, Trump said: "Nope. No way." "The restrictions are you can't do the tolls. There are not going to be tolls," he added. Iran had previously proposed legislation to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, potentially in yuan or riyal, challenging dollar dominance in energy trade.

Conflict context

The two-week US-Iran ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, is set to expire on April 22. The US has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports, with CENTCOM reporting no vessels have breached the blockade. Iran claims a giant crude carrier successfully transited the strait despite the blockade.