President Trump says he is prepared to give Iran several days to draft a response to the latest American proposal but warns that if the US doesn’t get “the right answers,” the war could resume “very quickly.”
By World Israel News Staff
President Donald Trump said he is prepared to wait “a few days” for Iran to respond to Washington’s latest diplomatic push, but warned that the United States is ready to resume military action if Tehran does not give what he called the “right answers.”
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, Trump said the talks were near a decisive point.
“If I can save war by waiting a couple of days, if I can save people being killed by waiting a couple of days, I think it’s a great thing to do,” Trump said. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go.”
He said any Iranian response would have to meet Washington’s demands in full.
“We have to get the right answers,” Trump said. “It would have to be a complete 100% good answers, and if we do, we save a lot of time, energy and lives, most importantly.”
The remarks came as Pakistan, Qatar and other regional mediators intensified efforts to bridge gaps between Washington and Tehran after six weeks of ceasefire.
Reuters reported Thursday that Iran was reviewing Washington’s latest responses, while Pakistan’s army chief was weighing a visit to Tehran as part of the mediation effort.
One source familiar with the talks told Reuters that mediators were trying to accelerate communication between the sides.
“Trump’s patience running thin is a concern, but we’re working on the pace at which messages are relayed from each side,” the source said.
Trump said earlier Wednesday that the negotiations were in their “final stages,” but again warned that the alternative would be renewed force.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won’t happen.”
The diplomatic effort has exposed tension between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over whether to continue negotiations or resume the campaign against Iran.
Axios reported that Trump and Netanyahu held a “difficult” call Tuesday about a revised peace proposal drafted with the help of regional mediators, with one source saying Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire after the call.”
Trump later played down any disagreement, saying Netanyahu would follow his lead.
“He’s fine, he’ll do whatever I want him to do,” Trump said. “He’s a very good man.”
According to Axios, the proposed framework could include a letter of intent by the US and Iran to formally end the war and begin a 30-day negotiation period on issues including Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The report said Netanyahu remains skeptical of the talks and wants to resume strikes to further weaken Iran’s military capabilities and critical infrastructure.
Iran has warned that renewed attacks would expand the conflict.
Reuters quoted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying that if “aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time.”
Trump said the US was now dealing with Iranian negotiators who appeared more reasonable than previous officials.
“We’re dealing with people that are, I think, far more reasonable than the people that are really no longer with us,” he said. “We’re dealing with some people with talent, with good brain power, and we’re pretty impressed by it, so hopefully those people will make a deal that’s going to be great for everybody.”
