Trump accuses Iran of taking ‘too long’ to negotiate peace deal

US President Donald Trump warned Iran it would “pay the price” after renewed attacks further strained a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Picture: iStock US President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of taking too long to negotiate a peace deal and warned it would now “have to pay the price”, a day after suggesting an agreement was in the offing. The remarks came after Iran and the US once again traded fire following the downing of an American helicopter, further straining a ceasefire that took effect in April but has been marked by sporadic flare-ups of violence.

The exchange drew international calls for restraint on the eve of theWorld Cup, which the US is co-hosting and Iran is participating in. “Iran is all talk and no action,” he said on Wednesday. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” The war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, threw the region into chaos and rattled global markets before the shaky truce began.

Iran said it attacked American bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Wednesday after the US carried out strikes on the Islamic republic in retaliation for the downing of a helicopter. The Apache was the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed shot down by Iran during the war. Its two crew members were rescued, the US military said.

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Jordan’s military, meanwhile, said it shot down five missiles, with no casualties or material damage. Elsewhere, the Kuwaiti military said its air defences were engaging “hostile aerial targets”. Iran has recently carried out deadly attacks there too.

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