US Amb. Waltz Says Iran Can Be Assured of 1 Thing Ahead of Any Nukes Agreement – RedState
President Reagan liked to use an old Russian adage “Trust, but verify” when talking about nuclear disarmament negotiations with the former Soviet Union and its leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, in the 1980s. I’ll get to that in a minute.
As RedState previously wrote, our negotiating team (perhaps without Vice President Vance) returns to Pakistan on Monday for the next round of nuclear negotiations with Iran, amid mounting uncertainty over who speaks for the Iranians, or even controls its military actions.
READ MORE: US negotiators return to Islamabad, but Iranians may not be there
Here’s more evidence that the Iranian regime is fracturing and in trouble as Trump holds his feet to the fire – VIP
As they attempt to strike a different kind of nuclear weapons deal with Iran (and whoever is currently running it), President Trump and the United States may well turn to a paraphrase of Reagan’s favorite quip: “Don’t do it trust And ” This was emphasized by the American ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, during an interview with host Jon Karl on ABC News’ “This Week”, broadcast on Sunday.
Waltz told the host that the Iranian government “is in absolute disarray” and does not control the Strait of Hormuz. In other words, they say a lot of nonsense that they cannot back up with actions.
.@USAmbUN: The IRGC “is in utter disarray because of devastating attacks on its leaders… It is the blockade, the US Navy and President Trump, who ultimately decide what goes in and out. @POTUS completely turned the tables on Iran’s attempt to maintain power… pic.twitter.com/3gHmAg3ysj
– Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 19, 2026
“You heard the Iranian foreign minister say it’s open, and then the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) steps in and says no, it’s closed,” he said, adding that the U.S. blockade, the navy and President Trump “ultimately decide what goes in and out.”
Trump “has completely turned the tables on Iran’s attempt to hold the world’s economies hostage, and its attempts to punish the world over this dispute over its nuclear program,” Waltz said.
Returning to Karl’s question, he said he could assure Iran that it would not be trusted to keep its nuclear promises.
“I promise you, I assure you, the United States does not trust anything; any agreement that is reached must be verifiable and enforceable.” As US ambassador to the UN, Waltz stressed that “the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and its nuclear inspectors… will be a key part” of any final resolution with Iran.
He said President Trump had more tools the military could use across the strait to continue the blockade, and that any extension of the ceasefire was up to the president:
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz calls the extension of the US-Iran ceasefire “the president’s decision” but adds that President Trump is “ready to step up efforts.” [in order] to defuse.” https://t.co/IIGF6xfG3m pic.twitter.com/Rc0ybYLgKo
– This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 19, 2026
Late last week, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent announced a new turn of the screw by the United States, in addition to the blockade and devastating bombings – economic pressure via what the administration calls “Operation Economic Fury”. Freeze the assets, including bank accounts, of senior Iranian regime officials and the IRGC, with the help of Iran’s neighbors in the Gulf states.
As Bessent says:
“So we asked them to freeze more funds from the IRGC leadership and all members of the Iranian leadership.”
Arama wrote that the United States will also ensure that Iran does not receive money from oil sales to other countries.
There is also this lingering question for the remaining mullahs and the IRGC: Exactly how much control can Iran have over the strait, if even cruise ships are able to pass through it safely without their permission?
READ MORE: Bessent deals another powerful blow to Iran, reveals what could be their ‘fatal mistake’
Other Brave Cruise Ships Just Thumbed Their Noses at the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz
On Sunday, the host asked Waltz what the United States and the president were prepared to do if Iran did not sign a deal. In this longer clip, he didn’t mince his words, saying “all options are on the table”:
Watch:
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said any deal between the US and Iran will have to be “verifiable and enforceable”, calling President Trump’s threats of further attacks a “ladder of escalation”. https://t.co/Mx4DgGCmJq pic.twitter.com/git65MMDPf
– This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 19, 2026
In a delightful attack on former President Biden, Waltz told Karl that unlike his predecessor, President Trump does not publicly telegraph U.S. foreign policy options “or tell his adversaries what he won’t do, thereby giving them leverage.” It’s a new day, readers, and that’s why I voted 100 percent.
Stick with RedState as the situation continues to rapidly develop over the coming days.
Editor’s note: For decades, former presidents did nothing but talk. Now, Donald Trump eliminates the Iranian threat once and for all.
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