Washington, DC — As diplomacy over nuclear stockpiles, sanctions relief and wartime damages remains deadlocked, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, saying on Truth Social that “the Clock is Ticking” and urging Tehran to act quickly.
Trump’s post came hours after Iranian outlets reported what they described as Washington’s core conditions for resuming negotiations. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the United States has demanded that Iran hand over 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, limit its nuclear program to a single operating facility, drop demands for war compensation, accept continued blocking of most frozen assets, and agree that military hostilities will end only after talks conclude.
Tehran responded with its own five preconditions. Iranian media said Iran would only return to the negotiating table if regional military operations — particularly in Lebanon — cease, sanctions are lifted, frozen overseas assets are released, compensation is paid for wartime damage, and its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is formally recognised.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly accused the United States and Israel of seeking to destabilise Iran by backing what he called “terrorist groups,” comments he made during a meeting with Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi. Pezeshkian said the plan to foment insecurity failed in part because neighbouring states did not allow their territory to be used against Iran, and he thanked Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq for refusing to host attacks on Iranian soil.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central flashpoint. Iran has tightened controls on shipping transits through the strategic waterway, while the US has stepped up pressure on Iranian ports and maritime trade, at times characterising its measures as part of a wider naval containment effort.
Earlier this year, a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire briefly halted large-scale fighting but did not produce a lasting political settlement. Trump has said he agreed to the ceasefire as a favour to Pakistan and has publicly stated he would not resume bombing Iran. Pakistani mediation has come under scrutiny after a CBS News report that Iran repositioned several aircraft to Nur Khan Air Base near Rawalpindi shortly after the ceasefire was announced; the report named an RC-130 reconnaissance aircraft among the assets moved.
Diplomatic channels have stalled again after Tehran and Washington rejected each other’s latest proposals, leaving talks on hold and tensions simmering across the region.
