US President Donald Trump on Saturday reminded Iran to reopen the Hormuz Strait and agree on ceasefire talks with US-Israel forces, as there were only 48 hours left on his 10-day ultimatum.
"Time is running out—48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them," he wrote in a Truth Social post.
This is the latest addition to Trump's explosive rhetoric around the war, which has had to painfully navigate an equally defiant Iran, and is marked by uncertainty around Washington's exit.
It comes as US-Israel airstrikes on Iranian soil have become a near-daily occurrence, as have Tehran's retaliatory airstrikes on vital infrastructure in Arab nations surrounding it.
Yet, the two sides do not meet on peace negotiations, with Iran declaring that it wanted a complete end to the war, and not just a ceasefire, while the US has demanded that it reopen the Hormuz Strait—that it had 'closed' to ships linked to the US and allied nations—and agree to a ceasefire with uneven terms.
In that regard, the 10-day ultimatum that Trump mentions again in his latest post, came on the back of the alleged peace talks between the two nations that he claimed were "going very well".
It had even led to an alleged "present" from Tehran: permission for eight oil boats to pass through the embattled strait.
However, Iran has consistently declined that it had "begged" the US to hold off its attacks and declare a ceasefire—and that peace talks were underway—saying that it was open to diplomacy, but only to end the war, not pause it.
It also continues responding to Trump's threats of attacks on its critical infrastructure and a ground invasion on Kharg Island, warning of "irreversible destruction" from its retaliatory attacks on Arab nations around it.
This has placed the Trump administration in a tight spot, as spending on the war continues to increase, pulling away funds from even crucial social security services like daycare, Medicare, and Medicaid.
"It’s not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things," he added, later calling them "scams", and suggesting that the money be spent on the war and national security.
This comes despite growing pressure from home to find an exit to the war, as gas prices rise sharply, leading to an increase in cost-of-living prices.
This has also led to Trump's approval ratings dwindling to an all-time low, standing at -20 per cent, which is eight percentage points below what it was at this time during his first term, and the lowest-ever in his second term in office, according to ratings tracker from The Economist.