President Trump said Wednesday that in order to end a blockade he imposed in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran would have to "cry uncle" and "give up" though the Iranians have given no indication they intend to do so anytime soon.
Trump also called his blockade "genius" without giving a timeline for how long it will be in place.
"The blockade is genius. The blockade is 100 percent foolproof, which shows how good our Navy is," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked how long it would continue.
"Now, they have to cry uncle, that's all they have to do. Just say, 'We give up,'" he said, adding that their economy is "dead."
He said he didn't know whether another wave of strikes would be needed in order to get Iran to make a deal quicker as a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran continues for an undetermined amount of time following a two-week ceasefire agreed too weeks ago.
As far as talks go, Trump says those would continue but that he had no intent on sending another U.S. delegation to Pakistan, who is acting as a mediator.
"I don't know. It depends. We're having talks with them now. We're not flying anymore with 18 hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper," he said. "We're doing it telephonically and it's very nice."
Trump said he likes "face-to-face" better, "but when you have to fly 18 hours every time you want to have a meeting, and you know what the meeting is all about, and you know they're going to give you a piece of paper that you don't like before you even leave, it's ridiculous."
The president did say that Iran has "come a long way."
"The question is whether or not they're going to go far enough," he said. "So, at this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear."
Trump also said he viewed the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war "on a similar timetable" for when they would end.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump has instructed aides to get ready for an extended blockade.
An Iranian proposal Sunday offered to reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts the blockade and ends the war but would push discussions on its nuclear program to a later phase.
Trump told Axios Wednesday that he will keep the blockade on Iran until it agrees to a deal that involves their nuclear program and that he is rejecting Iran's proposal.
"The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump told Axios.
Trump early Wednesday warned the Iranian regime that it "better get smart soon" and make a deal in an early morning Truth Social post.
"Iran can't get their act together," Trump wrote. "They don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!"
The post featured an AI-generated image of himself wearing sunglasses and a suit and holding a machine gun. Explosions are seen in the background with the caption "No more Mr. Nice Guy!"