Last weekend was supposed to be one of the most important moments in the military campaign against Iran. Exactly a week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that he was giving Iran “two or three days” to come to the negotiating table, later adding, “maybe until Friday, Saturday or Sunday.” But like other previous deadlines he has set for the Iranians, this one has also passed without anything happening.
Trump did publish a series of threats and AI-generated images on his Truth Social network, but even the U.S. strike overnight in southern Iran — targeting boats that tried to lay mines at sea and missile launch sites — was described by the U.S. military as “self-defense” only. And this is not the first ultimatum Trump has issued since the start of the campaign that has passed without the Iranians changing course.
Today, Abu al-Fadl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s military, warned that “Iran is ready for war. If it breaks out again and Iranian oil exports are blocked, we will prevent oil from leaving the region.”
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, made clear that “negotiations must be conducted from a position of strength. Surrendering to the enemy will only make it more brutal and worsen our problems. The red lines must not be blurred.”
Iran’s regime-affiliated Nour News linked the issue to the World Cup, which the United States is set to host in three weeks: “If the United States is gambling on controlling oil and lowering gas prices before the World Cup, it should know that military pressure and talks at the same time are a major gamble. Any miscalculation could turn Trump into the symbol of a bitter mistake, a memory that will return at every World Cup.”
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Will an agreement be reached before the start of the World Cup? Trump with the trophy
(Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Amid the tensions, both in Iran and on the northern border, it was decided that “due to diplomatic and security matters,” Tuesday’s hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial would end at 1:30 p.m. For the same reason, Wednesday’s hearing will be shortened and held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
This is only a partial list of the previous deadlines Trump set, which have since passed:
March 21: In a social media post, Trump declared that if Iran did not “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, the United States would “destroy their various power plants, starting with the largest one!” It did not happen.
March 26: Against the backdrop of a Wall Street plunge, Trump set a renewed ultimatum for 10 days later, April 6 at 8 p.m., saying he was “pausing the period of destroying energy stations” at the request of the Iranian government.
March 30: Trump claimed that “great progress” had been made in negotiations to end the war. At the same time, he threatened that if no agreement was reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not opened immediately, as he put it, the United States would destroy all of Iran’s power plants and oil wells, Kharg “Oil Island” and possibly all desalination facilities as well.
April 1: Trump wrote that the United States would consider a ceasefire only when the strait was “open, free and clear.” He added: “Until then, we will crush Iran to total destruction or, as they say, send them back to the Stone Age!!!” He later threatened that “all hell will fall on them,” called them “crazy bastards” and set a new deadline. In the end, the cease-fire was reached on April 7 — but Hormuz remained closed.
April 21: A week after the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran, Trump extended the cease-fire — this time without naming a deadline. A day later, however, Israel was informed that such a deadline did exist — until April 26. But that date also passed, and Iran did not change course.
May 3: Trump announced “Project Freedom” to release the ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively ending the Iranian naval blockade. But one day after it began, he announced that it would be suspended.
May 6: Trump announced that Iran had “one week to reach a deal,” and warned that “if they don’t agree, the bombings will begin.” Nearly two weeks have passed since then, but the United States has not resumed the war.
May 19: Trump’s most recent deadline. He said Iran had “two or three days” to reach an agreement, then gave them an extension minutes later “until Friday, Saturday or Sunday.” But Tuesday has now arrived, and there is still no agreement.