President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum on Wednesday for Iran to accept a deal to end the war or face renewed, more intense US bombing, in the latest of a series of abrupt policy shifts.
“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is perhaps a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform,” using the US name for its campaign against Iran.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” he added.
Trump’s post came after US news outlet Axios reported that Washington and Tehran were close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
Trump late on Tuesday announced a pause in a US military operation to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz – after only a day – citing a chance to seal a deal to end the war.
A senior Iranian MP, however, called the contents of the memorandum published by Axios more of a US “wish list” than reality.
