Trump threatens new strikes as Iran talks stall over war deal

Donald Trump raised the threat of a broader confrontation on Wednesday, warning that Iran would “pay the price” if negotiations dragged on and saying new strikes could target Iranian power plants and bridges. The warning came after another round of U.S. and Iranian attacks in the region, and as Qatari negotiators traveled to Tehran in a fresh push to keep war-ending talks alive.

Trump said on social media that Iran was “all talk and no action,” then told Fox News he was close to ordering more strikes if Tehran would not sign a deal. The comments sharpened the central question now driving the conflict: whether pressure can force a settlement before the next wave of retaliation makes one harder to reach. The White House did not immediately comment on Trump’s post or on the reported Qatari mediation.

The talks have been aimed at a framework to halt the war, ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and open further negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear material. That narrow agenda reflects how much both sides have already staked on the conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, each round of escalation has made the next compromise more politically difficult in Washington, Tehran and across the region.

The latest cycle of violence has already stretched across several fronts. Iran struck U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz. Reporting also said one recent strike hit Kuwait International Airport, killing one person and injuring others. The pattern has strengthened the case for a ceasefire, but it has also shown how fragile such an arrangement would be if regional proxies or military commanders act faster than diplomats.

The economic pressure is rising alongside the military risk. The international benchmark for crude oil was above $92 a barrel on Wednesday and more than 25% higher than at the start of the war, underscoring how the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the conflict’s main bargaining chips. Any new strike on Iranian infrastructure could further threaten shipping, energy flows and prices well beyond the battlefield, making the next decision from Tehran or Washington the one most likely to widen the war.