During a public appearance at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he was considering the possibility of involving the United States in Israel’s military campaign against Iran. He reportedly claimed that Tehran had begun backchannel efforts to initiate negotiations aimed at de-escalating the ongoing conflict.
While observing the raising of a newly installed flagpole on the South Lawn, Trump was said to have adopted a defiant tone, stating that his patience with Iran’s actions had “already expired.” He also reiterated his demand for what he described as the Islamic Republic’s “unconditional surrender.”
When questioned by reporters about the likelihood of imminent U.S. airstrikes, Trump was reported to have responded with deliberate ambiguity, saying that he might authorize such action or he might not, adding that “nobody knows” what he would ultimately decide to do.
“I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in a bid to end Israel’s air assault, but added that it was “very late.”
“I said it’s very late to be talking. We may meet. There’s a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference,” Trump added.
“They’ve suggested that they come to the White House. That’s, you know, courageous, but it’s, like, not easy for them to do.”
When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: “Nothing is too late.”
Trump had favoured diplomatic route to end Iran’s nuclear program, seeking a deal to replace the one he tore up in his first term in 2018.
But since Israel launched strikes on Iran six days ago Trump has moved in behind the key US ally and is now weighing whether to use US military power against Tehran too.
Trump issued a series of bellicose statements on social media on Tuesday, saying that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an “easy target” and calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”.
Read also: US Reinstates Some Medical Grants – Trump’s Official
Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the United States of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes.
Asked on Wednesday what he meant by his earlier statement, Trump replied: “Two very simple words. It’s very simple — unconditional surrender.”
“That means I’ve had it, okay? I’ve had it. I give up, no more, we go and blow up all the nuclear stuff that’s all over the place,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump reportedly expressed unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he had urged Netanyahu to continue Israel’s military campaign, despite Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks.
He was quoted as saying that during a recent phone conversation with the Israeli leader, he had encouraged him to “keep going,” adding that he spoke with Netanyahu daily and described him as “a good man” who was “doing a lot.”
Trump was also said to have dismissed an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate in the conflict. In a sharp rebuke referencing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump reportedly told Putin to “mediate your own” conflict first, before offering to intervene elsewhere.
Separately, Iranian officials rejected U.S. assertions that Tehran had attempted to initiate direct negotiations. Iran’s mission to the United Nations was reported to have denied any such outreach, stating on the social platform X that “no Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.”