DUBAI — U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to “get smart soon” and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict and a media report that the United States would extend its blockade of Iran’s ports. In a post on Truth Social, Trump, who has said Iran can call if it wants to talk and has stressed repeatedly that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon, said the country “couldn’t get its act together.” The Wall Street Journal cited U.S. officials as saying the president had instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to force Tehran to capitulate. Officials said Trump had opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports with the blockade as his other options — resuming bombing or walking away from the conflict — carried more risk, according to the WSJ. “They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They’d better get smart soon!” Trump said in Wednesday’s post, without explaining what such a deal would entail. Iran wants some kind of U.S. acknowledgment of its right to enrich uranium for what it says are
