Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reach deal, warns ‘hard hit’ awaits if talks fail

President Trump says Tehran requested negotiations as officials report progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran denies holding direct talks with Washington.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that the next 48 hours could determine whether negotiations with Iran produce an agreement, warning that Tehran would face another major US attack if it abandons the talks or refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked by reporters where matters stood with Iran, Trump replied, “We’ll know in 48 hours,” setting the latest deadline in a series of attempts to reach an agreement ending the five-month-old conflict.

Trump expanded on his demands during an interview with Fox News, saying any agreement would formally bar Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and restore international shipping through the strategic waterway.

“If you look at what’s happening, Iran as an example, never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They already can’t, but it’s going to be formal.”

“The strait is going to be open very soon, or they are going to get hit very hard and the strait’s going to be open,” he added.

Trump claimed Iran contacted him after learning that the US was preparing an exceptionally large military operation.

“We were going to a tremendous attack, biggest since World War II,” Trump said. “And they called me and said very politely, ‘Please, can we talk? Can we talk?’ They didn’t want — and I said, ‘Yes, we can talk. Let’s get it done. Finally, let’s get it done.’”

Trump first disclosed over the weekend that he had halted the planned strikes after Iran and several regional governments requested additional time to complete an agreement. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were among the Gulf countries that urged Washington to give diplomacy another chance.

The president nevertheless warned that another breakdown in negotiations would bring an immediate military response.

“If they back out again, they are going to get hit really hard,” Trump said. “They know that. They understand that. I have no choice. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very firm.”

“It’s not like, gee, let’s think about something else. No,” he continued. “It should have been done by many presidents over many years, and it wasn’t. And I’m doing it.”

Trump said the US and Iran had engaged in an “all-day negotiation” Tuesday and described the discussions as positive.

Iran has repeatedly denied negotiating directly with Washington. Tehran says its discussions are with Oman and are limited primarily to establishing temporary inbound and outbound shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump expressed frustration with those denials.

“We’re having very good discussions,” he said. “They don’t like to admit that, but you know it’s a little bit disconcerting.”

“You tell people like you, ‘We have wonderful discussions,’ and then some guy will come out of Iran and say, ‘We have not met,’” Trump continued. “They’ll say, ‘We didn’t talk about nuclear.’ Well, what did we talk about? Sitting here twiddling our thumbs, right?”

“The only thing that matters is action,” he added. “And they want to make a deal, or see what happens.”

Iran and Oman have reportedly made progress on an arrangement under which vessels entering the Persian Gulf would travel through a route overseen by Iran, while outbound ships would use a route closer to Oman. Regional officials said the plan could include service fees ostensibly covering maritime security and environmental protection.

Washington has rejected any agreement that would give Tehran authority to approve ships, control international transit lanes or impose compulsory tolls. A US official said the administration’s objective remains a return to the prewar system in which no single country controls passage through the strait.

An agreement may also depend on the US lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The blockade and the proposed fee system remain among the largest unresolved issues, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said progress is being made. Bessent suggested a deal could be reached as early as Tuesday or Wednesday, while Rubio said talks had advanced but had not reached “finality.”

The diplomatic effort was further complicated Tuesday when a cargo ship reported being struck by an unidentified projectile near Oman. The vessel was damaged, although no immediate information was released about casualties, its cargo or the party responsible for the attack.

The Strait of Hormuz carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas before the war began on February 28. Iranian attacks and restrictions have sharply reduced commercial traffic, contributing to higher energy prices and mounting economic pressure on the Trump administration.

During the Fox interview, Trump argued that military pressure was the only reason Iran was willing to discuss an agreement.

“They wouldn’t be talking if we weren’t doing what we’re doing,” he said. “We hit them very, very hard. But the hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won’t have to use it.”

Trump also renewed his criticism of former President Barack Obama, accusing him of trying to “bribe” Iran by transferring $1.7 billion in cash.

“Obama was taken to the cleaners,” Trump said. “He thought he could bribe his way out. He gave them billions — tens of billions of dollars, so stupidly. $1.7 billion in green cash.”

Trump maintained that negotiation without overwhelming military leverage would not succeed.

“No, you can’t bribe your way out,” he said. “All you can do is fight your way out.”

Still, the president said he hoped the threatened assault would not be necessary.

“We’re having very good discussions,” Trump said. “The only thing that matters is action. And they want to make a deal — or see what happens.”

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