Mohamed El-Baradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has called on Gulf nations to prevent US President Donald Trump from escalating tensions with Iran, warning that the region could be turned into “a ball of fire.”
In posts on X on Saturday, El-Baradei, who led the IAEA from 1997 to 2009, urged Gulf governments to intervene following Trump’s ultimatum that Iran would face “all hell” unless it strikes a deal. He tagged accounts for the UN, European Union, French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries, questioning whether anything could stop the “madness.”
Trump, in a separate message on Truth Social, said Iran must negotiate a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked since US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 triggered wider regional conflict. He referred to a previous March 26 ultimatum, warning that time was “running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”
El-Baradei, 83, who also served as Egypt’s vice president, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 alongside the IAEA for promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and played a central role in early international discussions over Iran’s nuclear program.
