New Delhi, Apr 29: As Iran continues to defy his diktats, US President Donald Trump today sought to project himself as “No more Mr Nice Guy”, in an apparent attempt to intimidate the Persian nation.
Trump posted on his social media platform ‘Truth Social’ an image of himself dressed up like a Secret Service officer and holding an assault rifle.
The photo carried a message — “No more Mr. Nice Guy” – in bold letters.
Along with the image, he posted, “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”
Hours earlier, Trump claimed in another post that Iran was currently in a “state of collapse” and was seeking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz urgently.
He also warned of the global risks if Tehran were to develop nuclear weapons, saying that “the whole world would be held hostage”.
Trump’s latest remarks come as amidst his continuing failure to push Iran to reach an agreement according to his wishes.
He has been blowing hot and cold as Iran maintains strong control over the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime passage through which most of the global energy flowed before the war launched by US and Israel on February.
The US and Iran have already held one round of talks mediated by Pakistan.
US Vice President JD Vance led his side while Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Galibaf represented his country at those 21-hour talks in Islamabad on April 10-11.
The US President has been pushing for a new agreement to replace earlier deals, which he has repeatedly criticised as inadequate.
He is insisting that Iran should renounce its nuclear ambitions permanently.
However, Iran has maintained that it will not have talks on the nuclear issue anymore even as it was ready to discuss other issues, including reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
