Trump tells Iran to "get serious" in negotiations "before it is too late"
· Axios
President Trump on Thursday called on the Iranian regime "to get serious soon" in negotiations with the U.S. "before it is too late."
Why it matters: The Trump administration through a group of mediators — Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey — has asked Iran to hold a high-level meeting this week to discuss a U.S. proposal for ending the war.
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- Trump's five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure expires Saturday, and a dramatic military escalation will grow more likely if no progress is made in diplomatic talks, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
- Some U.S. officials think a crushing show of force to conclude the fighting would create more leverage in peace talks or simply give Trump something to point to and declare victory.
- The Pentagon is developing military options for a "final blow" in Iran that could include ground forces and a massive bombing campaign, Axios reported.
Driving the news: Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Tehran rejected Trump's 15-point plan to end the war.
- A senior Iranian official told Iran's English-language Press TV the U.S. terms were "excessive," called the negotiations "a ploy," and said the war would only end "on Tehran's own terms and timeline."
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down Iran's public posturing and said talks remain "productive."
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV on Wednesday that Iran is not negotiating with the U.S. and stressed messages are being delivered through third countries.
- He claimed the U.S. proposal is being reviewed by Iran's top leadership.
What he's saying: "The Iranian negotiators are very different and strange. They are begging us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only looking at our proposal. WRONG!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
- "They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won't be pretty!" he added.
What to watch: A source involved in the efforts to launch negotiations between the U.S. and Iran said Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are still trying to organize a meeting between the parties.
- The source said that while Iran rejected the initial U.S. demands, it did not rule out negotiations altogether.
- "But mistrust is the problem. The commanders of the IRGC are very skeptical," the source said, referring to the powerful Iranian military force. "But the mediators haven't given up."