Middle East crisis live: Trump accuses Iran of taking too long to make a deal and says ‘it will now pay a price’

US president Donald Trump said Iran has “taken too long to negotiate a deal” and that it will “have to pay the price” as a result.

He did not clarify what action he intended to take, but the US military has been striking Iranian targets, including air defences and radar sites, near the Gulf. It is also not clear what this means for the ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, with Trump previously insisting that a deal could be reached.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:

double quotation markIran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!