Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Sunday that the country would be “hit much harder than before” unless it quickly returns with what he described as a better proposal to end the ongoing conflict.
In a phone interview with Axios, the president said “the clock is ticking” as he prepared to meet with his national security team this week to review possible military responses.
The warning followed a post President Trump made earlier Sunday 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!” Trump wrote.
President Trump told Axios he still believes Iran wants an agreement and said he is awaiting a revised proposal from Tehran after rejecting the country’s most recent offer.
According to Axios, Trump is expected to convene senior national security officials on Tuesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss military options. The report cited two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The outlet also reported that President Trump met Saturday at his Virginia golf club with Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe to discuss the situation involving Iran.
The diplomatic pressure appeared to intensify following stalled mediation efforts.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the United States had failed to offer meaningful concessions in response to Tehran’s latest proposal for negotiations.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran in recent months over the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, which handles a major share of global oil shipments.
Earlier this year, Trump set and extended deadlines demanding Iran reopen the waterway, at times threatening strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power facilities. Critics argued attacks on civilian infrastructure could violate international law, though administration officials rejected those concerns.
Following a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, President Trump said the United States had effective control over the strait. “We wiped out their armed forces, essentially,” he said.
