'Better get serious soon': Trump warns Iran, says 'negotiators are very different and strange'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) warned Iran to "get serious soon" regarding a deal with Washington, adding that if it gets too late, "there will be no turning back".

Trump made these remarks in a post on Truth Social. "The Iranian negotiators are very different and strange. They are ‘begging’ us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only ‘looking at our proposal.’ WRONG!!! They'd better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty!" the US president wrote.

His remarks came a day after an Iranian official told PressTV that they have rejected a 15-point ceasefire proposal sent by the US via Pakistan, adding that the war will now end on Iran's terms and timeline and not Trump's. Additionally, the Islamic Republic listed out five conditions, demanding complete agreement from Washington, along with the previous demands made during the second round of talks held in February in Geneva, days before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

The official said, "Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met," adding that the Islamic Republic would continue its defence and inflict "heavy blows" on the enemy until its demands are fulfilled.

Iran lays out five conditions for the US

Tehran's list of conditions included:

1. A complete halt to what it describes as enemy aggression and targeted killings.

2. Establishment of firm, enforceable guarantees to prevent the conflict from being imposed again on the Islamic Republic.

3. Clear assurances and structured arrangements for compensation, including war damages and reparations.

4. A comprehensive cessation of hostilities across all fronts involving every resistance group in the region.

5. Recognition of Iran’s sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz as an inherent legal right, viewing this as crucial to ensuring the other side adheres to its commitments.

US seeks ceasefire with Iran?

Earlier this week, Trump announced a five-day halt in fighting with Iran after what he claimed were "very good and productive conversations." However, Iranian officials denied negotiating with the US. Trump made the announcement nearly three weeks after Washington and Tel Aviv launched Operation Epic Fury and Operation Rising Lion in late February to target Iranian military and naval forces, killing several of its top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The three-week-long war has rattled the global energy markets after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway, responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. With the IRGC shutting down the Strait and launching attacks on US military bases in the Middle East, the war, which was just limited to Tehran and Israel, has now somehow globalised.

Gulf countries shift stance on Iran war

Earlier today, Gulf countries and Jordan released a joint statement, condemning Iran's war on their energy infrastructure and signalling their intent to act in "self-defence" to safeguard the sovereignty and stability of their countries and the region, CNBC reported.

The statement from the Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, emphasises that the Gulf states have borne the brunt of the war, with the region's reputation as a haven for business and tourism now being hampered.

The joint statement from the Gulf states came days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, informed the Gulf countries that the Islamic Republic's fight is not with them, and called for the formation of an Islamic Assembly of the Middle East to ensure peace and stability in the region.