WASHINGTON – Donald Trump issued new threats of annihilation against Iran on Sunday, two and a half months after the conflict began with Tehran, while a drone crashed near a nuclear site in the Emirates.
“There will be nothing left of Iran if the country does not quickly reach an agreement with the United States,” warned the American president on his Truth Social platform, as the two countries have not directly spoken since talks in Pakistan in mid-April.
“Iran is running out of time,” Donald Trump warned. The Iranians “better act quickly, otherwise there will be nothing left of them.”
After more than a month of ceasefire, the prospect of resolving the conflict, which began on February 28, remains distant, and the American president deemed Iran’s latest proposal to resolve the conflict on May 10 as “totally unacceptable.”
Even before Donald Trump’s message, Tehran had issued a warning to Washington.
“The American president should know that if (…) Iran is attacked again, his country’s resources and army will face unprecedented, offensive, surprising, and tumultuous scenarios,” warned military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi.
Parliament Vice President Hamidreza Haji-Baba’A announced that if Iranian oil facilities were targeted, Iran would strike oil sites in the region.
Context: Tensions remain high between the United States and Iran, with threats and warnings escalating from both sides as the conflict continues.
Fact Check: The message from Donald Trump and the Iranian response show the ongoing deadlock in negotiations to resolve the conflict.
In a “terrorist” attack on the other side of the Gulf, a fire broke out after a drone strike near the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
The strike did not cause any casualties or a rise in radioactivity, but authorities denounced a “dangerous escalation,” and Saudi Arabia called it a “threat to the security and stability of the region.”
Without directly accusing Iran, which has targeted countries in the region several times since the conflict began, an advisor to the Emirati president denounced a “terrorist attack,” suggesting Iran’s involvement.
The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed its “deep concern.”
Despite these tensions, diplomacy is not completely extinguished, and Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, whose country is trying to play a mediator role, met with Iran’s main negotiator and Parliament President, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Context: Efforts to mediate the conflict continue, illustrating a multi-faceted approach involving different countries.
Fact Check: Dialogue between Pakistan and Iran shows attempts at diplomatic engagement amid escalating tensions.
In a social media message after the meeting, Ghalibaf did not offer soothing words.
“Some regional states thought that the presence of the United States would bring them security, but recent events show that this presence not only fails to bring security but also creates insecurity,” Ghalibaf declared.
Fact Check: Ghalibaf’s statement highlights the shifting dynamics in the region and the perception of US involvement.
Context: The comments reflect growing discontent with US presence and foreign policy in the region.
Iranian media reported on Sunday that the United States had made “no concrete concessions” in response to Iranian proposals.
“Washington also demanded very strict and long-term restrictions on the Iranian nuclear industry,” according to the Mehr news agency.
The nuclear issue remains the main point of contention between the two countries.
According to the Fars news agency, Washington presented a list of five points, demanding that Iran maintain only one active nuclear site and transfer its highly enriched uranium stockpile to the United States.
According to the same source, the United States also refused to release “even 25%” of frozen Iranian assets abroad or pay reparations for damages suffered by Iran during the war.
In Lebanon, despite a theoretical extension of a ceasefire on Friday for an additional month and a half, new Israeli strikes killed five people, including two children, in the south of the country.
An Israeli military official said the pro-Iranian Hezbollah fired about 200 projectiles at Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon over the weekend.
Context: The conflict in Lebanon adds to the regional tensions and highlights the impact of the Iran-Israel rivalry in the area.
Fact Check: The ongoing violence between Israel and Hezbollah underscores the complexity of regional dynamics and the involvement of multiple parties.
- Agence France-Presse
