By Gloria Ogbonna
President Donald Trump issued a forceful warning to Iran on Sunday, declaring that time is rapidly running out for Tehran to reach an agreement to end the escalating conflict. As negotiations appear increasingly stalled, Trump signaled that failure to move swiftly toward a deal could trigger severe consequences, raising fresh concerns about whether diplomacy can still prevent renewed fighting in the region.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “the Clock is Ticking,” cautioning Iranian leaders that they must “get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.” He doubled down on the urgency with a stark message: “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
Later in a phone interview with Axios, Trump said he still believes Iran ultimately wants a deal but stressed that its latest proposal falls far short of U.S. expectations. “We want to make a deal,” Trump said, while expressing clear frustration with Tehran’s negotiating position. “They are not where we need them to be.” He added bluntly, “They will have to get there or they will be hit badly.”
In a separate interview with Israel’s Channel 13, Trump warned that “the Iranians should be afraid of what’s going on right now,” underscoring his increasingly aggressive tone as talks remain deadlocked.
Trump’s comments followed a more than 30-minute phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders discussed Iran and broader regional developments after Trump’s return from China. According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, the conversation included discussions about the possibility of renewed military action should negotiations fail and the fragile ceasefire collapse.
Israeli outlet Ynet, citing a senior Israeli official, reported that no final decision has been made regarding renewed military operations. “He needs to be at peace with the decision himself,” the official said, referring to Trump. “And if he decides to resume the fighting, Israel will likely be asked to join.”
Reports from CNN and Axios indicated that Trump met Saturday with key members of his national security team at his Virginia golf club to weigh both diplomatic and military options. Among those present were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions reportedly focused on how to proceed amid mounting frustration over Tehran’s latest response.
Another high-level meeting is expected Tuesday in the White House Situation Room, where administration officials are anticipated to further debate the potential for military action and the broader path forward.
The intensifying deliberations came after a New York Times report Friday stating that the United States and Israel have begun their most serious preparations since the ceasefire for possible renewed operations should diplomacy collapse. Israel’s Channel 12, citing a senior official, reported that preparations are underway for what could amount to “days to weeks of fighting,” depending on Trump’s final decision.
Intelligence officials in the region, speaking to Fox News, said Tehran appears to believe Trump may resume military action and is employing what they described as a strategy of “deception and delay” aimed at buying time and complicating any renewed U.S.-Israeli campaign.
Trump’s rhetoric toward Iran has escalated steadily in recent days. Last week, he dismissed Tehran’s latest proposal as “garbage” and “totally unacceptable,” and warned that the ceasefire itself was on “massive life support.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from Beijing, Trump said he quickly rejected parts of Iran’s proposal after concluding it lacked key concessions Washington considers non-negotiable. “Well, I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” he remarked.
A central sticking point remains Iran’s nuclear program. Trump reiterated that while he might support a long-term suspension of Iranian nuclear activity, it must come with credible guarantees. “It’s got to be a real 20 years, not a fake 20,” he said.
He also accused Iranian negotiators of shifting positions, claiming they had verbally agreed to allow the United States to retrieve Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, only to omit the concession from their formal written response. “They did two days ago,” Trump said. “But they changed their mind because they didn’t put it in the paper.”
Iranian media reports suggest Tehran is seeking sweeping concessions, including sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, compensation payments, and recognition of Iranian authority over the Strait of Hormuz before addressing Washington’s core demands involving uranium enrichment limits and transfer of stockpiles — conditions U.S. officials have signaled fall far short of the broader agreement sought by the administration.
As diplomatic tensions mount, regional security concerns are also intensifying. On Sunday, a drone strike triggered a fire outside the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates after authorities said one of three drones entering the country struck an electrical generator outside the facility’s inner perimeter. UAE officials called the incident a “dangerous escalation,” while the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed radiation levels remained normal.
Saudi Arabia later announced it had intercepted and destroyed three drones entering its airspace from Iraq, warning it reserves the right to respond “at the appropriate time and place.”
Meanwhile, Iranian officials hardened their rhetoric. Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik said Iran stands ready to respond forcefully to any renewed attack. Deputy parliament speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei issued a stark warning: “If the enemy attacks our oil, no country in the world will be able to access oil in the region.”
On social media, Trump amplified the pressure campaign by reposting a series of military-themed images, including graphics depicting U.S. naval and drone operations targeting Iranian assets and an uncaptioned map of the Middle East overlaid with an American flag and arrows pointing toward Iran.
With both sides entrenched and the ceasefire described as increasingly fragile, the coming days could prove decisive. As Trump repeatedly emphasized, the “clock is ticking,” and whether diplomacy can outpace the drumbeat toward renewed confrontation remains uncertain.
Source Breitbart
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