Trump Issues Threats Against Iran, Orders Military Ready for Full Assault

President Donald Trump reiterated threats against Iran on Truth Social, writing, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” as negotiations to end the conflict continued to “flounder.”

The Independent said Trump had instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General Daniel Caine, and the United States Military that “we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow,” while also directing they be prepared for a “full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice.”

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Mediaite reported that former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger told CNN anchors Brianna Keilar and Boris Sanches that Trump’s pattern of threats and reversals was “so damaging,” adding that Trump had gone from “we will destroy an entire civilization” to “we have a deal.”

Al Jazeera said Trump’s latest warning came as his administration struggled to achieve its goals, and it noted that the conflict began on February 28 when Israel and the US jointly attacked Iran.

Asked about Trump’s threats on Monday, May 18, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, told reporters, “Don’t worry, we know very well how to respond.”

People reported that through Pakistan, which has been mediating negotiations between the two nations, Iran delivered a new proposal to end the conflict with the U.S., which Reuters reported was in its 11th week.

Al Jazeera

DW described back-channel diplomacy in which regional and international powers pushed Trump to back down from threats to carry out military strikes against Tehran, and it said the Wall Street Journal reported the efforts began with a meeting of foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in Riyadh.

DW also said Iran’s officials rejected Trump’s claim that the talks were fruitful, and it quoted Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as noting that Tehran is not yet ready for negotiations with Washington.

The Independent said Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, and it linked that closure to a spike in gas prices across the globe.

Amnesty International said Erika Guevara-Rosas warned that Trump’s warning that the United States would delay strikes against energy stations and energy infrastructure in Iran for five days, pending talks on a “cessation of hostilities,” was “deeply irresponsible and would inflict catastrophic harm on millions of civilians.”

DW reported that Arab officials proposed a neutral committee to oversee the strait for safe passage for all ships, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps argued that Iran should collect fees from passing ships, similar to what Egypt does with the Suez Canal.

Al Jazeera said Trump’s rhetoric and the diplomatic window were narrowing, with correspondent Almigdad Alruhaid warning that “the ceasefire could be at imminent risk of shattering.”