Donald Trump Warns Iran ‘Clock Is Ticking’ as Peace Talks Stall

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that “the clock is ticking” as peace talks stalled, posting on Truth Social that “They better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

The warning came as Trump was due to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Trump described the ceasefire with Iran as being on “massive life support” following rejection of Tehran’s latest counter-proposal.

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Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei defended Tehran’s response as “responsible” and “generous,” while Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran’s proposal included an immediate end to the war on all fronts and a halt to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The BBC reported that Israeli and US forces began massive air strikes on Iran on 28 February, and that the ceasefire meant to facilitate talks has largely been observed despite occasional exchanges of fire.

The BBC also said Iran has continued to control the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing the vital waterway through which around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas travels, while the U.S. has been enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports to exert pressure.

The BBC said Trump’s message came as he was due to speak with Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, and it reported that Iranian media said the U.S. failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Tehran’s latest proposals.

Esmail Baghaei insisted the proposals were “responsible” and “generous,” while the semi-official Mehr news agency warned that a lack of compromise from Washington would lead to an “impasse in the negotiations”.

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In a separate account, the Times of India said Trump wrote on Truth Social: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

The Times of India also reported that Iran’s Fars News Agency said the United States wanted Tehran to surrender 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, limit operations to a single nuclear facility, and accept that most frozen Iranian assets would remain blocked.

The Times of India further quoted Iranian senior military adviser Mohsen Rezaei on state television saying: “Our armed forces' fingers are on the trigger, while diplomacy is also continuing.”

The BBC said Pakistan has been playing the role of mediator between the U.S. and Iran, but it added that both sides still appear to be far apart as the Strait of Hormuz remained central to the standoff.

The Guardian of the wider dispute is reflected in Trump’s stated conditions, with the BBC describing reported U.S. demands including keeping only one nuclear site in operation and transferring a stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the U.S.

In the West Asian reporting, The القدس العربي said Trump wrote that the United States would “destroy every power plant and every bridge in Iran” if Iran did not accept a proposed deal, and it added that bridges and power plants “will fall quickly, and will fall easily.”

That same source said Vice President J. D. Vance would lead the delegation after Trump said Vance would not participate, and it reported that Iran deemed the U.S. naval blockade of its ports a violation of the ceasefire and “illegal.”

The القدس العربي also quoted Iran’s Parliament head Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf telling state television that reaching a final peace agreement remains “far,” while the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed on Sunday amid ongoing disagreement and continued U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.