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U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would “pay the price” for taking too long to negotiate an agreement, as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian argued that Tehran and Washington must use dialogue to move beyond their current state of “neither war nor peace.”
In a statement, Trump said Iran had failed to reach an agreement that would have benefited the country and claimed its military had been severely weakened.
“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price,” Trump said.
He described Iran’s military as a “complete and total mess” and claimed that much of its navy and air force no longer existed.
“They have been completely defeated,” Trump said. “Iran is all talk and no action. The bully of the Middle East is dead.”
Trump also told Fox News that he is very close to ordering new airstrikes against Iran.
His remarks added to pressure on Tehran as negotiations between the two sides continued without a final agreement.
Trump has repeatedly said Washington and Tehran are close to reaching a deal, although there have been few public indications of significant progress.
His latest statements combined a warning of possible renewed military action with criticism of Iran for delaying negotiations.
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Pezeshkian said Iran and the U.S. needed to move beyond the continuing condition of “neither war nor peace,” according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.
He said former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had repeatedly emphasized that the unresolved situation had to be brought to an end.
“If we want to move beyond this state of neither war nor peace, what should we do?” Pezeshkian said. “If we do not engage in dialogue, then what is the alternative?”
Pezeshkian said negotiations had been allowed to continue on that basis.
He added that the instruction during the final stages had been: “Go and resolve the issue.”
Iran and the U.S. reached a ceasefire April 8, but Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington and Israel of undermining the truce through military operations.
The U.S. has conducted strikes against Iranian targets while indirect negotiations continued.
Israel has also carried out thousands of strikes in Lebanon despite restrictions under the ceasefire.
Trump’s warning that Iran would have to “pay the price” and his statement that he was close to ordering new airstrikes came as Pezeshkian publicly argued that continued talks were necessary to resolve the prolonged confrontation between the two countries.
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