U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is deploying warships equipped with advanced weaponry as a U.S. delegation heads to Pakistan for talks with Iran, warning that military force remains an option if no agreement is reached.
"We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post, adding that the weapons are "even better than what we did previously.”
"And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively,” he said.
Asked if he thinks the talks would be successful, Trump responded: "We’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon.”
Trump’s remarks came hours after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington would meet the Iranian side with "open hands,” expecting the negotiations to be "positive,” as he departed Washington for Pakistan.
Vance is joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been involved in earlier rounds of indirect talks with Iranian officials before the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.