WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump threatened “there won’t be anything left” of Iran if no peace deal is reached, as their truce came under further strain with drone attacks on US allies in the Gulf.
Washington, locked in a war with Iran since US and Israeli forces launched strikes in late February, has struggled to break an impasse in negotiations and end the conflict, which has shaken the Middle East and sent energy prices climbing.
“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 Sunday. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
Iran said Monday it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that exchanges were continuing despite Iranian media reports describing Washington’s demands as excessive.
“As we announced yesterday, our concerns were conveyed to the American side,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said during a press briefing.
He said exchanges were “continuing through the Pakistani mediator,” without providing details.
The two sides have been communicating via mediator Pakistan but have failed to reach a lasting agreement amid a shaky temporary truce, which was tested again on Sunday by fresh strikes on Gulf nations.
‘No tangible concessions’
Iranian media said the US had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran’s proposed agenda for negotiations.
The Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list, which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US.
Washington has refused to release “even 25 percent” of Iranian assets frozen abroad or pay any reparations for damage inflicted during the war, according to Fars.
The Mehr news agency said “the United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations.”
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Sunday in Tehran with Iran’s chief negotiator and speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
In a social media post following the talks, Ghalibaf said the war had destabilized 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.
Gulf states attacked
Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones entering the country from Iraqi airspace, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said a drone sparked a fire at its Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, one of three UAVs that entered from the “western border direction.”
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash appeared to refer to Iran and its regional proxy groups when he condemned the attack, which ignited a fire but caused no injuries or impact on radiation levels.