President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran to "better get smart soon" as negotiations between the countries continue to be deadlocked and the Strait of Hormuz closed.
In a social media publication, Trump said "Iran can't get their act together" and authorities "don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal."
"They better get smart soon! President DJT," he added, posting an image of him holding a rifle and the caption "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!" against a backdrop of what appear to be military bases enduring explosions.
NBC News detailed that Trump held a meeting in the Situation Room to discuss the path forward, including whether the country's presence in the Strait of Hormuz should change. The president has not announced any decision, the outlet added.
Tehran has reportedly proposed the U.S. to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz without a nuclear deal, allowing for energy to go back to transiting through the key waterway.
The proposal in question would leave nuclear negotiations for a later stage, bypassing the most sticking point of talks between the countries. Tehran's argument is that such conversations would allow for a deal to be reached more quickly.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to convey the Trump administration's rejection of the proposal, saying Tehran's nuclear ambitions are the main reason for hostilities.
Speaking with Fox News, Rubio said that the "nuclear question is the reason why we're in this in the first place."
He went on to say that any agreement would need to be one that "definitively prevents them from sprinting toward a nuclear weapon at any point."
Trump also echoed the claim when hosting a state dinner for British King Charles III. While making a toast, the president said the U.S. has "militarily defeated" Iran and won't let it "have a nuclear weapon."
The U.S. continues to blockade Iranian ports in the meantime, preventing it from exporting oil. Intelligence firm Kpler said that, as a result, the country has between 12 and 22 days worth of storage left. It went on to detail that the country is losing between $200 and $250 million for every day the blockade continues.
The report also noted that it usually takes about two months for the country's oil to reach its main buyer, China, with buyers having a similar period to make payments. That means the economic pain of the blockade might not be felt for a few more weeks.
