• US president says Tehran has days to reach a deal, warns of ‘another big hit’
• Iranian army warns of ‘extensive response’, asks US, allies to refrain from ‘strategic mistake’
• Doha says Pakistan-mediated negotiations require ‘more time’
• UAE claims intercepting six drones launched from Iraqi soil

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: Iran said it will open “new fronts” against the US and allies after President Donald Trump threatened renewed attacks on Tehran, which he described as “another big hit”, warning Tehran that it had limited time to strike a deal with the US.

Speaking to reporters at the construction site for the new White House ballroom, the president claimed that Tehran was “begging” to make a deal. “We’re negotiating with Iran … you know how it is to negotiate with a country where you’re beating them badly, they come to the table, they’re begging to make a deal,” he said.

“I hope we don’t have to do the work, but we may have to give them another big hit. I’m not sure yet, but you’ll know very soon.” “We have to make sure that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters.

According to the US leader, Tehran has limited time to reach a deal with Washington. “I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something maybe early next week. A limited period of time,” he said in response to a question about the deal.

He also appeared to brush aside the growing domestic criticism of the Iran conflict, saying the war was “very popular”. “I frankly think it’s very popular, but whether it’s popular or not popular, I have to do it, because I’m not going to let the world be blown up on my watch, not going to happen,” he added.

Trump also accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz as a “military weapon” for the past four decades. “Iran has used the straits as a military weapon for 47 years, really much more than that. And that’s not their strait, that’s international waterway, that’s not for them to do,” he claimed. Speaking about his decision to call off the attack, the president said he was an “hour away” from striking Iran, but called off the decision at the request of the Gulf states. “We were all set to go,” he told reporters.

US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday the United States and Iran have made a lot of progress in their talks and neither side wants to see a resumption of the military campaign.

“We think that we’ve made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal,” Vance told reporters at a White House briefing.

As the US ramps up pressure on Iran, the Iranian army warned it would “open new fronts” against the US if it resumed attacks. “If the enemy is foolish enough to fall into the Zionist trap again and launches new aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against it, with new equipment and new methods,” said army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Iranian proposal

Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, also warned that any new act of aggression by the US or its allies would be met with overwhelming force. “We announce to America and its allies: do not commit another strategic mistake or miscalculation,” the commander was quoted by the state-run Press TV as saying. He warned that any renewed aggression or invasion by the enemies will be met with a “swift, decisive, powerful and extensive response”.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, meanwhile, shared details about Iran’s recent offer to the US. He said the proposal called for the lifting of sanctions on Tehran, the release of Iranian frozen funds and an end to the marine blockade, Reuters reported. The proposal also included ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran and damages to cover destruction caused by the war, he said.

As peace talks stall, Qatar said more time was needed to reach a deal. “We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan that has shown seriousness in bringing parties together and finding a solution, and we do believe it needs more time,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.

The UAE Ministry of Defence said the air defence systems detected and engaged six drones that “attempted to target civilian and vital areas in the country” during the past 48 hours. The statement came two days after the attack on its nuclear plant.

“In the context of completing the investigations related to the brazen attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant on May 17, the results of technical tracking and monitoring confirmed that the three drones, two of which were successfully engaged, while the third struck an electrical generator outside the internal perimeter of the plant on that date, in addition to the drones intercepted later, were all originating from Iraqi territory,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the US seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing three US officials. The tanker, Skywave, was sanctioned by the US in March for its role in transporting Iranian oil and was likely loaded with more than a million barrels of crude at Iran’s Kharg Island in February, the report said.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026