Trump says ‘clock ticking’ for Iran as peace negotiations stall

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump threatened “there won’t be anything left” of Iran if no peace deal is reached, as their truce came under further strain with drone attacks on US allies in the Gulf.

Washington, locked in a war with Iran since US and Israeli forces launched strikes in late February, has struggled to break an impasse and end the conflict, which has shaken the Middle East and sent energy prices climbing.

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

The two sides have been communicating via mediator Pakistan but have failed to reach a lasting agreement amid a shaky temporary truce, which was tested again on May 17 by fresh strikes on Gulf nations.

Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones entering the country from Iraqi airspace, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said a drone sparked a fire at its Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, one of three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that entered from the “western border direction”.

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 impact on 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 social media platform X.

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

Attacks on the Gulf states, which Tehran says it has targeted for harbouring US military and economic interests, have dramatically reduced since Washington and Tehran agreed to the temporary truce on April 8, but sporadic strikes have continued.

The war has also sparked a blockade of the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 per cent of global oil exports pass in peacetime, with Iran refusing to let ships pass and the US blockading Iran’s ports to stifle its oil exports.

Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, the armed group Hezbollah, has also been launching attacks against Israel, drawing Lebanon into the war. Israel has responded with air strikes and a ground invasion of south Lebanon.

A ceasefire is in place between Israel and Lebanon, but the fighting with Hezbollah has not stopped.

Iran has demanded a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any broader peace agreement with Mr Trump, who has been frustrated by Tehran’s refusal to accept a deal on his terms.

An Israeli military official said on May 17 that Hezbollah had fired around 200 projectiles at Israel and its troops over the weekend, despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing to extend a ceasefire.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said new Israeli strikes on May 17 on 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 the Lebanese authorities.

‘No tangible concessions’

Iranian media said on May 17 that the US had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran’s proposed agenda for negotiations.

The Fars news agency said Washington had 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 US.

Washington also refused to release “even 25 per cent” of Iran’s frozen assets abroad or pay any reparations for the damage inflicted on Iran during the war, according to Fars.

The Mehr news agency, meanwhile, said: “The United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations.”

On May 17 in Tehran, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

In a social media post following the talks, Mr Ghalibaf said the US and Israeli war with Iran had destabilised 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. AFP