President Trump on Thursday said Iranian negotiators “better get serious” about making a deal to end the war, saying they risk grave consequences otherwise.
Mr. Trump, in a social media post, called Iranian negotiators “very different” and “strange.”
He said they are seeking a deal because their military is debilitated, “and yet they publicly state that they are only ‘looking at our proposal.’”
“They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Mr. Trump joined forces with Israel to begin bombarding Iran on Feb. 28, hoping to dismantle its missile program and nuclear ambitions while diminishing its support for terror proxies in the Middle East.
This week, the president held off on attacking Iranian power plants because he was hopeful of a deal to end hostilities.
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Partners in the Middle East are facilitating the talks, though it is unclear who is negotiating from the Iranian side.
Tehran has been cool to a multipoint U.S. proposal and rejected direct talks.
Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister of Pakistan, said Thursday that “U.S.-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan.”
“In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran,” he wrote on X. “Brotherly countries of Turkiye and Egypt, among others, are also extending their support to this initiative. Pakistan remains fully committed to promoting peace and continues to make every effort to ensure stability in the region and beyond.”
The ongoing conflict is sparking widespread fears of energy shortages because Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil choke point, and struck oil and gas facilities in Gulf states.
Gas prices have risen by nearly $1 per gallon, on average, over the last month, but appeared to flatline at $3.98 on Thursday as oil prices stabilize.
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The war is also sparking tension between the U.S. and traditional allies.
Mr. Trump, writing on Truth Social, said in all caps that NATO allies had done “absolutely nothing” to help with “the lunatic nation,” meaning Iran.
“The U.S.A. needs nothing from NATO, but ‘never forget’ this very important point in time!” he wrote.
