Administration

Trump warns Iran ‘clock is ticking’ as peace negotiations stall

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by Ashleigh Fields - 05/17/26 2:25 PM ET

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by Ashleigh Fields - 05/17/26 2:25 PM ET

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President Trump on Sunday warned Iran that the “clock is ticking” as peace negotiations between the U.S. and Tehran appear to be at a standstill.

“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” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.

Last week, the president rejected Iran latest response to the White House’s peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable” after Tehran asked to separate nuclear talks from peace negotiations. Since the onset of the war alongside Israel in February, Trump has urged Tehran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.

Trump’s latest threat also comes after he told reporters that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Israel was on “life support” after extending it late last month.

Earlier Sunday, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone, according to NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer.

The two leaders, per Netanyahu in an Israeli Cabinet meeting, were set to discuss the conflict in the Middle East, as well as Trump’s recent visit to China.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed the war during the high-stake meeting, with the latter offering to help try to bring about an end to the war, according to the U.S. president.

“You know the problem with help? When somebody helps you, they always want something on the other side. That’s the way help works,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier, stating he told his Chinese counterpart, “We don’t need any help.”

Throughout the Iran conflict, which has stretched over two months, Trump has stated that the Middle Eastern country’s military infrastructure has been severely destroyed, arguing Tehran has no leverage in negotiations.

“We really had the confines of a deal; no nuclear, they were going to give us the dust… and every time they’d make a deal, the next day it’s like we didn’t have that conversation, and that’s taken place about five times,” Trump told Baier in Beijing.

“There’s something wrong with them, and actually, they’re crazy, and you know what? Because of that, they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added.

Pakistan has served as the mediator between the U.S. and Iran amid the stalemate.

Last month, Trump said he would no longer send a delegation overseas for in person talks and instead urged Iranian counterparts to travel to the U.S. or speak with officials via phone.

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