Trump Warns ‘Clock Is Ticking’ for Iran To Make Peace Deal

President Trump is warning that the “clock is ticking” for Iran, issuing what sounded like a countdown for negotiators after a half-hour phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel Sunday. Mr. Netanyahu convened a meeting of security officials following the discussion, leading to speculation that the ceasefire with Iran could abruptly end. Mr. Trump last month threatened to destroy Iran’s “civilization” though later agreed to suspend hostilities in order to pursue a negotiated agreement. So far, nothing has been accomplished to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has sent energy prices skyrocketing across the world. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Mr. Trump expressed a sense of frustration with the Iranian government, which has continued to exert its control over one of the world’s most vital trade routes. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Mr. Trump wrote. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”Mr. Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 news shortly after the meeting with Mr. Netanyahu that he still thinks the Iranians want to make a deal, but the Islamic regime’s latest peace proposal is “not where we want them to be.” “If they don’t come to us with a better offer, there will be consequences,” he warned without indicating whether he had a timeline. He added that if Iran doesn’t come around, “we will hit them harder than anything we have done to them so far.”Iran’s official news agency, Fars reported Sunday that the United States sent a counterproposal to Iranian officials after the regime issued a five-point peace plan that included an end to hostilities on all fronts — especially in Lebanon, the lifting of anti-Iran sanctions, the unfreezing of Iran’s blocked assets, compensation for war damages, and recognition of Iran’s sovereign right over the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump said Friday on his return from China that he tossed the Iranian proposal after reading the first sentence. In the unverified report, Fars said the United States countered with a demand to receive 400 kilograms of enriched uranium from Iran, no reparations, and an offer to release some frozen assets. Last month, after weeks of threatening Iran, Mr. Trump said that he would extend a ceasefire with the Islamic Republic for an indefinite amount of time. That decision came at the same time that Vice President Vance postponed a trip to Islamabad for a second round of peace negotiations. During his first trip to Pakistan, Mr. Vance said Iran and the United States were too far apart on key issues to expeditiously come to an agreement. After that meeting between Mr. Vance and Iranian officials was aborted, the United States and Iran instituted a dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump said he would not allow any vessels originating from or destined for Iranian ports to pass through the trade route. So far, the United States has seized three such ships — one in the Gulf of Oman and two in the Indian Ocean. On Sunday evening, shipping tracker Seavantage reported that 1,265 vessels — 594 of which are oil tankers — are stranded in the Persian Gulf awaiting passage through the strait that lies between Iran and Oman and is the passageway for 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.Despite the ongoing tensions and the dual blockade of the strait, leaders in the region are still pushing for additional peace talks to bring the conflict to a close. Prime Minister Al Thani of Qatar and Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan said Sunday that they spoke to each other about the importance of Pakistan continuing to mediate talks between the United States and Iran. “His Excellency affirmed the State of Qatar’s full support for the Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at ending the crisis through peaceful means, stressing the need for all parties to engage with these efforts in order to create the appropriate conditions for progress in the negotiations,” the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

Trump Warns ‘Clock Is Ticking’ for Iran To Make Peace Deal

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