The threat is the latest in a long line from Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran harder than any country has been hit before if they do not come to an agreement with the United States. Mr Trump told CBS News that negotiators are getting closer to an agreement as he warned that there would be consequences if no deal is found.
The United States and Iran are close to agreeing on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, two regional officials and a diplomat said on Saturday, as the United States weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic. However, the US President warned Tehran that failure to make a deal would lead to “a situation where no country will ever be hit as hard as they’re about to be hit.”
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Mr Trump has previously warned that ‘a whole civilization will die’ if his demands were not met (Image: Getty)
He emphasised however that the two sides are getting closer to an agreement, stating “every day it gets better and better.”
When asked about what a deal that satisfies both sides might look like, he added: “I can’t tell you before I tell them, right?”
Iran signalled “narrowing differences” in negotiations with the US after Pakistan’s army chief held more talks in Tehran, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in India that “there’s been some progress made” and “there may be news later today”.
The officials and diplomats expressed hope that a final decision on the Pakistan-prepared draft could come within 48 hours as both sides review it.
They said US Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner played significant roles in helping bridge remaining gaps, and that Qatar played a key role by sending a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts.
Still, both Iran and the US emphasised their key positions and have warned of the risks of resuming attacks.
Iran state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a “framework agreement” and adding: “We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us.
“Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 and 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached.”
He said the Strait of Hormuz is among the topics discussed.
Positions have moved closer in recent days, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Mr Baghaei as saying: “Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences.
“We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days.”
Mr Baghaei said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear program, which has long been at the heart of international tensions.
“Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Mr Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position”.
