Trump Issues Ultimatum to Iran as Tehran Studies Washington's Proposal
Amid ongoing negotiations, United States President Donald Trump issued a stark threat of military action against Iran that could be launched again in the near future if Tehran fails to provide a satisfactory answer in the peace talks. Trump said the negotiation process is at the threshold between achieving a deal or the outbreak of renewed war.
He said diplomacy remains open, but could close at any time if Iran does not meet Washington’s demands.
‘The situation is really on the edge. If we do not get the right answer, everything could move very quickly. We are ready for that,’ Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, local time (20 May).
Trump even hinted that a deal could be reached within days. However, he stressed Iran must provide an answer so that a new attack is not carried out.
Separately, Iran confirmed it had received the latest proposal from the United States to end the Middle East war that began in February. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said his government was studying the points put forward by Washington.
Nevertheless, Tehran still put forward a number of key conditions, including the unfreezing of Iran’s frozen assets and the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports.
Tensions further intensified after Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of secretly still wanting to continue the war. He warned that Iran would respond harshly if Washington again launched military aggression. ‘The enemy still has military aims and is seeking to start a new war,’ said Ghalibaf.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also issued a sterner warning. They said a new war would not be limited to the Middle East but could spread to other regions.
‘If aggression against Iran occurs again, the next war will extend beyond this region and our blows will destroy you,’ said the IRGC.
Despite threats, diplomacy is not entirely closed. Pakistan remains trying to act as mediator to bring the two sides together. Iran’s official news agency reported that Pakistan’s Interior Minister has arrived in Tehran to continue peace talks.
Hope that a deal would be reached briefly buoyed global markets. Global oil prices fell by more than five percent after Trump signalled peace prospects were nearing. U.S. stock markets also rose.
But the situation remains fragile. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route that transports around a fifth of the world’s oil supply, has not yet returned to normal. Iran had previously tightened vessel traffic in the area while the United States imposed a counter-blockade against Iranian ports.
The U.S. military even announced it had halted and searched an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman on suspicion of breaching restrictions imposed by Washington.
The Hormuz Strait crisis began to trigger wider concerns. In addition to oil and gas, the route also carries about a third of global fertiliser distribution. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation warned that a prolonged closure could trigger spikes in global food prices and disrupt global supply chains.
Saudi Arabia also urged Iran to capitalise on the remaining diplomatic opportunities. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan praised Trump’s decision to keep room for negotiation. ‘We hope Iran will take this opportunity to avoid the dangerous consequences of escalation,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it remained on the highest alert to anticipate any developments in the region. (AFP/Dhk/P-3)
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