by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump has given Iran only a “limited period of time” to present an acceptable peace proposal after calling off planned U.S. strikes, even as the Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran’s negotiating position remains largely unchanged from earlier failed talks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, regional mediators and U.S. officials familiar with the discussions said Iran is still demanding an end to hostilities, financial relief, reparations for war damage, and a role overseeing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Tehran also remains at odds with Washington over U.S. demands that Iran close or suspend its nuclear program for the long term.
The report raised fresh doubts about whether a diplomatic offramp can be found after weeks of war between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Trump said May 19 that Iran “knew I was getting ready to attack,” adding that he had been close to approving strikes before deciding to give negotiations more time.
“I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump told reporters near the White House’s ballroom construction site.
The president said he told Iranian officials they had “two or three days” — possibly until Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or early next week — to come up with a deal, warning that U.S. strikes could resume if talks fail.
“We can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If they had a nuclear weapon, they would start with Israel, they would blow it up, and they would blow it up fast.”
Trump also warned that Iran would likely target Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar after Israel.
The remarks came one day after Trump announced on Truth Social that he had suspended military strikes planned for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” were underway. He said leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had urged him not to launch the new attack while diplomatic efforts continued.
Trump said he had ordered U.S. forces “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States and Israel had been preparing new attacks on Iran within days, and some regional officials said strikes could still happen as early as next week. A U.S. official said Trump had been advised by aides and outside allies that a limited strike could pressure Tehran into making a deal.
“I hope we don’t have to do the war but we may have to give them another big hit,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, issued fresh threats through state-run Tasnim News.
“If our enemies commit another mistake, we will confront them with power and capabilities far greater” than before, Iranian general Ali Abdollahi said in remarks carried by Tasnim. The outlet also reported that Iran could open new fronts in the war if the U.S. military launches fresh attacks.
Trump has repeatedly warned that the clock is running out for Tehran. Over the weekend, he wrote that Iran “better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”
The coming days may determine whether the conflict moves toward a negotiated pause — or another major round of U.S. and Israeli strikes.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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