Trump says Iran “better get serious” in war talks

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday to get serious about talks to end the Middle East war "before it is too late", as Iranian state media said Tehran had already responded to Washington's overture and was awaiting a reply.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff told a cabinet meeting in Washington there were "strong signs" that Tehran was ready to negotiate an end to the fighting, despite its cool public response to a 15-point American peace plan shown to Iran by Pakistani intermediaries.

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction," Witkoff said.

The exact contents of the US plan, conveyed to Iran via Pakistan according to Pakistani officials, are not public, but the Iranian news agency Tasnim said: "Iran's response to the 15 points proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is awaiting the other side's response."

The Tasnim report, citing an unnamed official, said Iran's reply called for an end to US and ‘Israeli’ attacks on Iran and also on Tehran-backed groups elsewhere in the region -- an implicit reference to Lebanon's Hezbollah, among others. War reparations should be paid and Iran's "sovereignty" over the Strait of Hormuz be respected.

Pakistan confirmed Thursday it was facilitating "US-Iran indirect talks" by relaying messages -- and that a 15-point American plan was being "deliberated upon" by Tehran.

"They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won't be pretty!" Trump warned on social media. Later, at the US cabinet meeting, he said Iran had allowed 10 oil tankers passage through the Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about talks.

Iran says it has blocked the vital shipping lane to all but "non-hostile" vessels.

In response to a reporter's question, Trump also said the United States might take control of Iran's oil, comparing it to the deal Washington made with Venezuela after abducting Nicolas Maduro. "It's an option," he said.

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had denied on Wednesday that any negotiations had begun with Trump's administration -- but did concede messages were being exchanged through "friendly countries".

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said "brotherly countries" Turkey, Egypt and others were also supporting the mediation process.