ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that Iran may be seeking negotiations to de-escalate the escalating conflict with Israel, despite Tehran’s vow to respond more forcefully to continued Israeli strikes.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Trump said, “They would like to talk, but they should have done that before,” adding, “but I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk and they should talk immediately before it is too late.
He further reaffirmed US backing for Israel, adding, “We’ve always strongly supported Israel. And Israel is doing very well right now.”
The remarks come days after Israel launched a massive aerial assault on Iran on Friday, killing several top military commanders and nuclear scientists Iran has since retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting key infrastructure in Israel’s northern port city of Haifa and the central economic hub of Tel Aviv.
Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said on Sunday that “Iran and Israel should make a deal and we will make a deal.
“We will have peace, soon, between Israel and Iran,” he added pointing to the “many calls and meetings now taking place.” Attributing the push to himself, he added, “I do a lot and never get credit... but that is ok.”
Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused the U.S. of complicity in the Israeli attacks, saying, “We do not believe these actions by the Zionist regime were carried out without coordination, cooperation, and support from America.”
Pointing to the now stalled nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, Baghaei said the Israeli actions have “practically emptied the diplomatic process and negotiations of meaning and substance.
Iran and the United States had completed five rounds of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, with a sixth round scheduled for late last week. However, Iranian officials canceled their participation, calling the talks "meaningless" in light of continued Israeli attacks.
For his part, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday warned of a “more severe and powerful response” if Israel continues its aggression.
Iran says that over 224 civilians have been killed in the Israeli attacks - most of whom are civilians - since Friday. Meanwhile, Israel reports 24 civilian deaths from Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
