President Trump on Sunday repeated his threat to restart the bombing campaign against Iran if the country doesn’t accept his demands for a deal.
The president told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that the “clock is ticking” and that if a deal isn’t reached soon, the Islamic Republic is “going to get hit much harder,” a threat he reiterated in a post on Truth Social.
“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” the president wrote.
Trump also discussed the situation with Iran during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convened a meeting of his security cabinet afterward. Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been clear that they’re eager to restart the full-scale bombing campaign.
Two US officials told Axios that Trump is expected to convene a meeting of his top officials on Tuesday to discuss potential military options against Iran. The report said he discussed the situation on Saturday with Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at his golf club in Virginia.
US officials have previously suggested to Axios that Trump would order strikes on Iran if a deal wasn’t reached after his trip to China, which ended on Friday. The US president claims he wants a deal with Tehran, but has rejected Iran’s latest proposal for an agreement as “a piece of garbage.”
In the meantime, the US continues to enforce a blockade on Iran, and tensions remain very high in the region. The UAE reported a drone attack on Sunday that it said sparked a fire at its sole nuclear power plant.
