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Negotiations through intermediaries are still ongoing, but time is rapidly running out toward the deadline.
Iran has suspended direct communications with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened to destroy “an entire civilization” in Iran. This was reported by Middle East officials to The Wall Street Journal.
The breakdown in direct contacts has temporarily complicated efforts to reach an agreement before the deadline set by Trump for Tuesday evening. However, talks have not stopped entirely: communication through ceasefire mediators is still being maintained. Qatar and Oman traditionally serve as intermediaries between the United States and Iran, maintaining trusted relations with both sides of the conflict.
According to one informed official, Iran deliberately took this step to signal disapproval and respond to the U.S. president’s rhetoric, demonstrating that such threats are unacceptable and will not go unanswered.
Trump’s deadline of 8:00 p.m. Tuesday Eastern Time (3:00 a.m. Wednesday Kyiv time) is the final timeframe he has publicly set for reaching an agreement. What exactly will happen if it is missed has not been officially specified by the U.S. side, but amid threats to destroy Iran’s civilization, the stakes are clearly high. It remains unclear whether direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran will resume before the deadline expires.
Trump’s threat to destroy “an entire civilization” in Iran has become one of the harshest public statements toward Tehran in recent years and has triggered the current diplomatic crisis.
