Trump says willing to wait a few days to get 'right answer' on Iran peace deal

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States was prepared to launch further attacks on Tehran if Iran refused a peace deal, but suggested Washington could wait a few days to "get the right answers", Reuters reported.

Six weeks after he paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks have made little progress. Soaring gasoline prices continue to weigh on the president's approval ratings.

What did Trump say about the Iran peace deal deadline?

Trump said the situation was "right on the borderline" and could escalate rapidly.

He told reporters at Joint Base Andrews: "Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go." Asked how long he would wait, Trump said it could be a few days, but could also move faster.

What are Iran's conditions for ending the war?

Iran submitted a new offer to the US this week. Tehran's terms largely repeat proposals Trump has previously rejected, including demands for control of the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war damage, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets, and the withdrawal of US troops.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was pursuing negotiations "with seriousness and good faith," but added that Tehran held "strong and reasonable suspicion over America's performance."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained open to negotiations, but warned in an X post that "forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion." Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's top peace negotiator, said in an audio message that "obvious and hidden moves by the enemy" indicated the Americans were preparing new attacks.

How has Iran responded to the threat of renewed strikes?

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned sharply against further military action. "If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time," the Guards said in a statement.

Trump, for his part, reiterated his determination not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. "We're in the final stages of Iran. We'll see what happens. Either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," he told reporters.

What is the latest diplomatic activity around the Iran peace deal?

Pakistan's interior minister was in Tehran on Wednesday. Pakistan hosted the only round of formal peace talks held so far and has since served as the conduit for messages between Washington and Tehran. Baghaei confirmed that the two sides continued to exchange messages through Pakistani mediation.

Trump also spoke with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who welcomed the ceasefire extension and said he believed a "reasonable solution" was possible, according to Ankara.

Trump said on Tuesday he had been an hour away from ordering fresh attacks this week, following requests from several of Iran's Gulf neighbors.

What is happening at the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran has largely shut the Strait of Hormuz to all ships apart from its own since US-Israeli attacks began on February 28, causing the biggest disruption to global energy supplies in history. The US responded last month with its own blockade of Iranian ports. Iran on Wednesday released a map showing a "controlled maritime zone" at the strait and said transit would require authorization from a newly created authority, potentially including fees for access. Washington has said such fees would be unacceptable.

Two giant Chinese tankers carrying a combined total of around 4 million barrels of oil exited the strait on Wednesday. Iran had announced last week, while Trump was in Beijing for a summit, that it had agreed to ease rules for Chinese ships. South Korea's foreign minister said a Korean tanker was also crossing the strait in cooperation with Iran.

Shipping monitor Lloyd's List reported that at least 54 ships transited the strait last week, roughly double the previous week's figure. Iran said 26 ships had crossed in the past 24 hours, still only a fraction of the 140 per day recorded before the war.

Why is Trump under pressure to end the Iran war quickly?

Soaring energy prices are hurting Trump's Republican Party ahead of congressional elections in November. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that elevated yields and headline inflation were "transient" and would ease once the conflict ended. "The strait will open, and we'll normalise energy prices," he said. Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities, noted that investors were keen to gauge whether Washington and Tehran could find common ground, "with the US stance shifting daily."

How has the conflict affected the broader region?

The US-Israeli bombing killed thousands of people in Iran before a ceasefire was reached in early April. Israel has also killed thousands more and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes in Lebanon, which it invaded in pursuit of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Iranian strikes on Israel and neighboring Gulf states have killed dozens of people.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when they launched the war that their aims were to curb Iran's support for regional militias, dismantle its nuclear program, destroy its missile capabilities, and create conditions for Iranians to topple their rulers.

Iran, however, has so far retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and its ability to threaten neighbors with missiles, drones, and proxy militias. Its clerical rulers, who suppressed a mass uprising at the start of the year, have faced no sign of organized opposition since the war began.