President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iranian leadership in an interview with journalist Barak Ravid, declaring that the timeframe for reaching a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran is exceptionally short. The American president emphasized that the United States is fully prepared to resume military operations if diplomatic efforts stall.
When asked about the duration allocated for diplomatic talks, President Trump stated, "Not a long time. Either it will happen fast, or it won't happen at all." He added that "we will return to very powerful military action" if the talks with Iran do not yield satisfactory results.
President Trump revealed that his decision to pause planned military strikes against Iranian targets over the weekend followed direct appeals from various regional and international mediators. According to Trump, mediating parties contacted Washington with the explicit message "don't shoot," requesting additional diplomatic room to maneuver before kinetic operations resumed.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Austrian television that indirect exchanges of messages with the United States continue through third party intermediaries. However, Baghaei noted that "in the current environment, our priorities are defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and our people." He further stated that "for any conversation to take place, there needs to be a suitable infrastructure, but the US destroyed this infrastructure."
Addressing the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh asserted that Tehran will not permit foreign powers to establish control over the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 percent of global energy supplies transit. Khatibzadeh accused the United States of severely damaging the UN Charter and international law, arguing that global diplomatic norms are being systematically ignored.
Reporting published by the Wall Street Journal indicates that the United States military had fully finalized plans for an intensive 14 day campaign targeting Iranian facilities. The White House decided to freeze the military operation at the last minute to afford mediation efforts a final opportunity, though officials maintain that operational readiness remains extremely high.
According to diplomatic reports provided to Reuters, international observers continue to monitor communications closely as mediator nations press both sides for immediate commitments before the temporary operational pause expires.
