Trump Warns Iran With Total Destruction After Talks Stall With Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump said “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!” in a Truth Social post on Sunday as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran remained deadlocked.

Trump’s warning followed his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Netanyahu telling Channel 13 that he thinks “the Iranians should be afraid of what's going on right now,” and with Trump also telling Axios he thinks Iran still wants a deal.

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The Whistler Newspaper said Trump threatened “total destruction” if Tehran does not move quickly to reach a deal, and it tied the message to Trump’s earlier rejection of Iran’s latest peace proposal as “totally unacceptable.”

Mint reported that Trump issued the warning on Sunday (May 17) amid rising tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, and it said Trump and Netanyahu monitored developments in the region closely.

Mint also reported that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told ABC News that the president was focused on ensuring China would not provide “material support” to Iran, while Greer said “China has a clear interest in reopening the strait.”

Crypto Briefing said Trump is set to hold a Situation Room meeting with his national security team to discuss potential military options against Iran, after Iran refused to meet key US demands in nuclear negotiations.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Axios said Trump was expected to hold a meeting with the country’s top security officials next week to weigh military action options, and it said the United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28.

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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also said Trump urged Iran to “get moving,” threatening severe consequences in a Truth Social post, and it quoted Trump writing “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

The Whistler Newspaper said Trump last week declared the ceasefire with Iran “on life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” and it said Trump demanded Iran formally halt uranium enrichment and surrender an existing stockpile of an estimated 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.

Crypto Briefing added that the market was pricing a “Will no qualifying diplomatic US-Iran meeting occur by June 30, 2026?” outcome at 49% YES and a “US-Iran nuclear deal by June 30?” outcome at 19.5% YES.

BBC reported that after Wednesday’s Israeli strikes on the Pars South gas field in Iran, Trump issued a statement on Truth Social saying the US had “no knowledge of this particular attack,” and it noted that centrist newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported the attack “had been coordinated with the United States in advance.”

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BBC also quoted Alex Gendler, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in London, saying “We are in full alignment with most or all of our objectives regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and it added that Gendler said “We want one thing.”

The BBC analysis said Trump wrote “No further attack by Israel on this incredibly important and valuable Pars South field will take place,” unless Iran “irrationally decides to attack a very innocent country, which here is Qatar.”

Gulf News said Trump-Netanyahu call fueled fears of a new Iran war and reported that Netanyahu said Israel was “prepared for any scenario” concerning Iran, while it also described Iran state television airing footage of news presenters holding rifles.

In parallel, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed three drones after they entered its territory airspace from Iraqi airspace, and it quoted Major General Turki Al-Maliki saying the kingdom “reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place.”