President Donald Trump projected confidence about the likelihood that a deal between the U.S. and Iran would be reached, saying that Iran has "no choice" but to send representatives, he said in an interview with CNBC.

"They have no choice but to send them. What I think is that we're going to end up with a great deal. I think it's got I think they have no choice," Trump said.

Trump added that he believes the U.S. is "in a very strong negotiating position" and doubled down on his insistence that the U.S. won't lift the blockade until after a deal has been reached.

"The blockade has been a tremendous success," Trump said.

Iran's defense forces are "in full readiness," and they are "negotiating with our finger on the trigger," Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson of Iran's government, said in an interview with the official Islamic Republic News Agency on Tuesday.

"We do not want to come under renewed attacks, but if such attacks occur, we will certainly respond more forcefully than before," Mohajerani said.

"The head of the Iranian negotiating team has been the field commander and is fully aware of the situation. Our people should know that this team is knowledgeable both in field realities and diplomacy," she said.

In an interview with Mehr News, the government spokeswoman said that she is not aware if the negotiation team has left Iran for Pakistan.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said in a post to X on Tuesday that American forces interdicted and boarded an Iran-linked cargo vessel overnight.

"U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility," the command said.

"We will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran -- anywhere they operate," the command's statement said.
"International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels."

INDOPACOM posted video footage of the boarding operation, which showed helicopter-borne U.S. forces rappelling onto the deck of the Tifani.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

President Donald Trump alleged that Iran had "Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!" in a social media post on Tuesday morning.

The president did not elaborate on what incidents his post referred to.

The two-week ceasefire announced by Trump on April 8 is due to expire on Wednesday.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart