Trump threatens Iran before ceasefire deadline, possible peace talks

President Donald Trump on Monday again threatened Iran with overwhelming military force, saying “lots of bombs [will] start going off” if no deal is reached before a shaky ceasefire with Tehran expires Tuesday evening.

The latest threat, made in a phone call with a PBS News reporter, came as the status of additional U.S.-Iran peace talks, and other key details on the current relationship between the warring powers, appeared to grow increasingly opaque.

At the same time, Trump has resumed his saber-rattling rhetoric, which had escalated two weeks ago before the expiring fragile ceasefire was reached. Trump, in phone calls with reporters over the past two days, has vacillated between war mongering and unclear details about the status of further peace talks.

Monday’s threat of more bombing followed a Sunday morning declaration to a Fox News reporter that “the whole country is going to get blown up” and that if Tehran doesn’t sign a deal, Iran’s bridges and power plants will be targeted in those attacks.

The threats escalate tensions with Iran even as a U.S. delegation gears up to travel back to Pakistan for a potential second round of peace talks.

The delegation “plans to travel to Islamabad soon,” a source familiar with the matter told CNBC on Monday morning on condition of anonymity to discuss the trip.

The information, which implies the delegation has yet to depart, came after Trump told a New York Post reporter Monday morning that U.S. officials are “heading over now.”

A first round of talks in Islamabad earlier this month, led by Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, ended with no deal after a 21-hour negotiating session.

Trump confirmed to the New York Post that the same three officials are part of the round-two delegation.

It was not immediately clear if Iran has agreed to participate in further peace talks.

A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said at a news conference Monday that there are no plans to attend negotiations with the U.S., multiple outlets reported.

But The New York Times, citing two senior Iranian officials, reported later Monday morning that a delegation from Tehran is making plans to head to Islamabad on Tuesday for talks with the U.S.

The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on the evening of April 7, shortly before the deadline when Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die” if no deal is struck.

The temporary truce has come under mounting strain throughout its short duration, as each side accused the other of violating its terms.

On Sunday, Trump said that the U.S. Navy, which is blocking Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz, fired on and seized an Iran-flagged cargo ship that had tried to bypass the blockade.

The escalation came as Trump has complained that Iran has failed to reopen the strait, a major throughway for global oil transit.

This is developing news. Please check back for updates.