US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that time was running out on his latest deadline for a deal to end the war, which he said was 48 hours.
According to reports, the Pakistan-mediated talks between the US and Iran to end the war that began on February 28 have stalled. On top of it, the prospect of a US service member alive and on the run in Iran raised the stakes for Washington as a crew member of an F-15E aircraft went missing after Iran downed the US Air Force jet over its airspace on Friday.
The conflict entered its sixth week with scant prospect of peace talks in sight and polls showing low public support in America.
What can happen in the next 48 hours?
A lot can happen in the next 48 hours, as Donald Trump has continued to give out mixed signals about the war. He has been doing that since the conflict began with a US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, switching between hinting at diplomatic progress to making threats to bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages”.
On Saturday, the Republican leader repeated his threats to intensify attacks on Iran if it failed to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz strategic waterway.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to GOD!” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Israel also followed up on Trump’s ultimatum with a senior defence official saying that Tel Aviv was preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities, and was awaiting the green light from Washington. This seems to be an apparent move to heap further pressure on Tehran.
The timeframe for such attacks would be within the next week, the official told Reuters. Trump has previously threatened to hit Iranian power plants if his demands were not met.
Iran remains defiant
Iran’s leadership has been defiant since the start of the war, although its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, left the door open in principle for peace talks with the US via mediation from Pakistan. But he gave no sign of Tehran’s willingness to bow to Trump’s demands.
“We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” Araghchi said on X.
The war has killed thousands, sparked an energy crisis and threatened lasting damage to the world economy. Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
