US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Sunday, saying that Tehran faces devastating military consequences if it fails to come forward with a credible offer to end the ongoing war — and fast.
"We want to make a deal. They are not where we want them to be. They will have to get there or they will be hit badly, and they don't want that," Trump said in a phone call with Axios.
He added that the US would strike Iran "much harder than before" if an acceptable proposal is not received soon. "The clock is ticking. They better get moving fast or they are not gonna have anything left," he warned.
The remarks come as diplomatic efforts have entered a tense stalemate. The war, which began on February 28, 2026 when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, has since been paused by a fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.
Trump told Axios he still believes Iran wants a deal and said he is waiting for an updated Iranian proposal, one he hopes will be stronger than Iran's last offer.
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Trump is expected to convene his top national security team in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss military options, Axios reported. He also spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation.
The weekend prior, Trump had already met with Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe at his Virginia golf club to assess the negotiations.
At the center of the standoff is a US five-point proposal that Tehran has so far rejected. Specifically, the five points are:
- Tehran would keep only one nuclear site operational
- The Islamic Republic would transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US
- The US would not release “even 25%” of Iran's frozen assets abroad
- There would be no compensation for damage inflicted on Iran during the war
- Hostilities on all fronts must cease at the start of negotiations
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Iranian officials have insisted that uranium enrichment is non-negotiable, leaving the talks in a deep impasse.
Mediation efforts are ongoing on multiple tracks. Pakistan's interior minister visited Tehran over the weekend for talks with senior Iranian leaders, while Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke with both his Pakistani counterpart and the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday.
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