Kathmandu. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will keep U.S. military forces close to Iran until a “real and fully implementable agreement” is reached. This reflects the US strategy of maintaining military pressure along with the talks.

Tuesday’s two-week ceasefire signalled a pause in the conflict, but has not eased regional tensions. The situation has been further complicated by Israel’s continued bombing of Lebanon and rejecting some of Iran’s key demands, which could also affect the atmosphere for the upcoming talks.

Trump made it clear on his social media account that the U.S. military presence would remain in Iran, with all the necessary weapons and equipment, including ships, aircraft, and military manpower stationed around Iran. “The enemy’s capabilities have already been severely damaged,” he said, adding that military readiness would continue until the actual agreement was fully implemented.

However, he said the chances of a deal being reached were “extremely low”. At the same time, he warned that if the deal failed, he would return to the “bigger, stronger” offensive. “Our military is ready and eager to move forward for another success,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to keep key sea lanes open during the ceasefire but has made clear that it will continue to control the area. The Strait of Hormuz, in particular, is considered one of the most sensitive areas for global energy supplies, which normally supplies about a fifth of the world’s oil.

Details released by state media showed Tehran had asked Washington to recognise its uranium enrichment programme in a possible deal. However, this issue is not included in the formal demands presented by the United Nations. Trump said any potential deal would address the issue of enforcement.

Referring to the upcoming talks in Pakistan, Trump reiterated that the final agreement with Iran will ensure that “Iran has no nuclear weapons” and that the Strait of Hormuz remains safe and open.