Trump warns of narrowing window for Iran deal amid stalled talks

President Donald Trump warned that “there won’t be anything left” of Iran if a peace deal is not reached, as a fragile truce continues to unravel amid renewed drone attacks targeting U.S.-aligned interests in the Gulf.

The United States, engaged in a prolonged conflict with Iran following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February, has struggled to break the diplomatic deadlock. The war has destabilized parts of the Middle East and pushed global energy prices higher.

“For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving fast, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “Time is of the essence.”

Efforts to broker a lasting agreement have continued through intermediaries, including Pakistan, but talks have stalled as the temporary truce remains under pressure.

On Sunday, several Gulf states reported new drone activity. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three drones entering its airspace from Iraq, while the United Arab Emirates said a drone caused a fire at the Barakah nuclear power plant after entering from the west, part of a wave of UAV incursions across the region.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash appeared to refer to Iran and its regional proxy groups when he condemned the attack, which ignited a fire but caused no injuries or change in radiation levels.

“The terrorist targeting of the Barakah clean nuclear power plant, whether carried out by the principal perpetrator or through one of its agents, represents a dangerous escalation,” he wrote on X.

Iran-backed armed groups equipped with drones are based in Iraq, while Tehran’s allies in Yemen, the Houthi rebels, also possess combat-capable UAVs.

Attacks on Gulf states, which Tehran says it has targeted for harboring U.S. military and economic interests, have dropped sharply since Washington and Tehran agreed to a temporary truce on April 8, but sporadic strikes have continued.

The war has also led to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil exports pass in peacetime, with Iran restricting shipping and the United States seeking to curb Iranian oil exports.

Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, has also been launching attacks against Israel, drawing Lebanon further into the conflict. Israel has responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

A cease-fire is in place between Israel and Lebanon, but fighting involving Hezbollah has continued.

Iran has demanded a lasting cease-fire in Lebanon before any broader peace agreement with Trump, who has expressed frustration over Tehran’s refusal to accept a deal on his terms.

An Israeli military official said Sunday that Hezbollah had fired about 200 projectiles at Israel and its troops over the weekend.

Lebanon’s health ministry said new Israeli strikes Sunday in the country’s south killed five people, including two children.

Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including 400 since the truce began on April 17, according to Lebanese authorities.

No tangible concessions

Iranian media said the United States has failed to make concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran’s proposed negotiating agenda.

The Fars news agency said Washington presented a five-point list that included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

It said Washington has refused to release “even 25%” of Iranian assets frozen abroad or pay any reparations for damage inflicted during the war.

The Mehr news agency said the United States, offering no tangible concessions, is seeking gains it failed to secure during the war, a stance it said could lead to an impasse in negotiations.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Sunday in Tehran with Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

In a social media post after the talks, Ghalibaf said the war had destabilized the entire Middle East.

“Some governments in the region believed that the presence of the United States would bring them security, but recent events showed that this presence is not only incapable of providing security but also creates the grounds for insecurity,” he said.

DAILYSABAH