Washington, April 13 : US President Donald Trump said that Iran was in â??very bad shapeâ?? and â??pretty desperate,â?? as he confirmed a planned blockade would take effect within hours.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac after returning from Miami, Trump said a ceasefire in the region was â??holding well,â?? but signalled no softening in Washingtonâ??s position ahead of the blockade set to begin at 10 a.m. Monday.

â??The blockade will go into effect tomorrow at 10 am,â?? Trump said, adding that â??there are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil.â??

He indicated that other countries were cooperating with efforts to curb Iranâ??s oil sales, though he did not identify them. â??Other nations are working so that Iran cannot sell oil,â?? he said.

On prospects for renewed negotiations with Tehran, Trump struck a dismissive tone.

â??I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think theyâ??re pretty desperate. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,â?? he said.

Asked how long he would wait for Iran to return to the negotiating table, the President said: â??I donâ??t care if they come back or not. If they donâ??t come back Iâ??m fine.â??

The remarks underscore a hardened US posture as tensions with Iran continue, with Washington combining economic pressure and maritime measures to restrict Tehranâ??s energy exports.

Trump also used the brief exchange with reporters to criticise NATO, expressing frustration with the allianceâ??s role.

â??Iâ??m very disappointed in NATO, they werenâ??t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they werenâ??t there for us,â?? he said.

He declined to respond to questions about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbanâ??s reported electoral loss, ending the exchange after about six minutes and departing the tarmac.

The planned blockade marks a significant escalation in US efforts to pressure Iran, particularly targeting its oil exports, which remain a critical source of revenue for Tehran. Washington has long argued that restricting these revenues is key to curbing Iranâ??s nuclear ambitions.

/IANS