U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One bound for Virginia at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., April 10, 2026.
Evelyn HochsteinReuter
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning, saying it “better get smarter fast!”
Shortly after 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, President Trump posted on the social media platform TruthSocial: “Iran is not getting its act together. It doesn’t know how to get a nuclear-free deal. They better get smarter and faster!”
The post included a photo of President Trump holding a gun to the sound of AI-generated explosions and the words, “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
The post comes as attempts in recent days to continue negotiations appear to have stalled, with the vital Strait of Hormuz remaining closed and the status of negotiations with Iran remaining unclear.
U.S. negotiators were scheduled to visit Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend for further talks, but President Trump canceled the trip.
“We hold all the cards,” the president told Fox News, adding that if Iran wants to talk, “they can come to us, they can call us.” Previous negotiations led by Vice President J.D. Vance also failed to reach an agreement.
The Iranian government is proposing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the United States lifts its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and the war ends, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed on Monday.
The proposal would postpone negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program to a later date, Axios and the Associated Press reported early Monday.
However, Reuters reported earlier on Tuesday that President Trump is not satisfied with the Iranian government’s offer and that the White House is also expected to come up with a counter-proposal.
West Texas Intermediate futures continued to rise after Trump’s post, trading 2.82% higher after the post to $102.75, while benchmark Brent futures rose 3% to settle at $114.62.
Oil prices are already rising after the United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday it would leave oil-producing OPEC on May 1, complicating the global supply outlook.
