WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a fresh warning to Iran, urging Tehran to quickly move toward a peace agreement or face devastating consequences.
Washington, which has been locked in conflict with Tehran since US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on Iran on February 28, has struggled to break the deadlock and make progress toward ending a war that has shaken the Middle East and driven up global energy prices.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding: “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
The ongoing conflict has effectively blockaded the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil exports normally pass, while also dragging neighbouring Israel and Lebanon into a deadly side conflict.
Iran’s clerical leadership, which backs Hezbollah, has demanded a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before agreeing to any broader peace arrangement with Trump, who has reportedly grown frustrated over Tehran’s refusal to accept a deal under Washington’s terms.
An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired around 200 projectiles at Israel and Israeli troops over the weekend despite both Israel and Lebanon agreeing to extend a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry said fresh Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday killed five people, including two children.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since the beginning of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including 400 deaths recorded after the truce came into effect on April 17.
Although Washington and Tehran agreed to a truce on April 8, negotiations aimed at ending the conflict have stalled, while sporadic violence has continued across the region.
Iranian media reported Sunday that the United States had failed to offer any meaningful concessions in its latest response to Tehran’s proposed framework for negotiations.
The Fars news agency said Washington presented a five-point proposal demanding Iran maintain only one operational nuclear site and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.
According to the report, Washington also rejected calls to release even “25 percent” of Iran’s frozen foreign assets or provide compensation for damage caused during the war.
The Mehr news agency said the United States was seeking concessions it failed to secure during the conflict while offering “no tangible concessions” in return, warning that the talks could reach another impasse.
Elsewhere in the region, a drone strike sparked a fire near a nuclear power station in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Sunday, though authorities said there were no injuries or impact on radiation levels.
Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq possess drone capabilities, while Tehran’s allies in Yemen, the Houthi rebels, also maintain combat-grade unmanned aerial vehicles.
Pakistan has remained actively involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the United States. On Sunday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met in Tehran with Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Following the meeting, Ghalibaf said the US-Israeli war against Iran had destabilised the entire Middle East.
“Some governments in the region believed that the presence of the United States would bring them security, but recent events showed that this presence is not only incapable of providing security, but also creates the grounds for insecurity,” he said in a social media post.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed Iran during their recent high-level summit, though there appeared to be little progress on the issue.
Trump claimed Xi had assured him that China was not preparing military assistance for Iran, while China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that “shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible.”