President Donald Trump left the question of whether the United States will join Israeli strikes on Iran up in the air on Wednesday, as he said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations.
“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters as he supervised the installation of a new flagpole on the White House South Lawn.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised message that the country “will stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace” as the archfoes entered their sixth day of war.
Israel launched wide-scale air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences on Friday, killing top commanders, scientists, and civilians. It claimed the strikes are part of a broader operation codenamed ‘Rising Lion’ to deter Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes.
Addressing reporters about whether the US would enter the fray after his earlier comments, Trump said: “I can tell you this, Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate.”
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House to negotiate on Tehran’s nuclear program 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.”
He reiterated his demand for an “unconditional surrender” from Iran, saying: “I’ve had it. I give up. No more. Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff that is all over the place there [in Iran].”
Trump said the next week would be “very big” without elaborating. When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: “Nothing is too late.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, even as he declined to confirm preparations of strike options on Iran, that the US military was “prepared to execute” any decision Trump might make on matters of war and peace.
“If and when those decisions are made, the Department [of Defence] is prepared to execute them,” Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Meanwhile, Khamenei said: “This nation will not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,” according to Tasnim news agency.
The Iranian leader also pointed out to statements made by Trump, saying that those who know Iran and its history “know that Iranians do not answer well to the language of threat”.
“And the Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable consequences.”