US President Donald Trump on Thursday sharply escalated his rhetoric toward Iran, claiming its negotiators are “begging” for a deal despite publicly downplaying engagement with Washington.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the Iranian delegation as “very different and ‘strange,’” and asserted that Tehran has been “militarily obliterated” with “zero chance of a comeback.”
“They are ‘begging’ us to make a deal, which they should be doing,” Trump wrote, while dismissing Iranian claims that they are merely “looking at our proposal.” “WRONG!!! They better get serious soon, before it is too late,” he added.
Trump warned that failure to reach an agreement soon could carry severe consequences, saying that “once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty.”
The remarks come amid ongoing uncertainty over potential negotiations between Washington and Tehran, as both sides continue to signal conflicting positions on the prospects for a deal.
Trump: Iran is desperate
Earlier, Trump said Iran was desperate to make a deal to end nearly four weeks of fighting, contradicting the Iranian foreign minister, who said his country was reviewing a US proposal but had no intention of holding talks to wind down the conflict.
The conflicting statements came as the economic and humanitarian toll of the war mounted, with fuel shortages spreading worldwide, sending companies and countries scrambling to contain the fallout.