Trump tells Iran to accept deal or face new wave of US bombing

Donald Trump has issued a fresh ultimatum, telling Iran to accept a deal to end the war or face a new wave of US bombing “at a much higher level and intensity than it was before”. The social media announcement on Wednesday was the latest in a rapid series of dramatic and often contradictory changes in policy and came amid reports the US was claiming progress in stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington. “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,” the US president posted on his Truth Social platform, referring to the military operation he launched with Israel against Iran in February. “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” Earlier on Wednesday Axios reported that Washington and Tehran were close to agreeing on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war. The US-based news outlet reported that the US expects Iran to respond to several key points in the next 48 hours, and that while nothing has yet been agreed, this was the closest the parties had been to a deal since the war began. Officials in Pakistan told the Guardian that an initial framework could possibly be agreed within 48 hours but that nothing was certain and that talks remained “difficult”. …