Trump on Israel and Iran
On Thursday, President Trump indicated that Israel might hold off on targeting Iran, especially since a nuclear deal could still be in the works.
In response to a query about whether he had advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a potential strike, Trump said, “As long as I think there’s an agreement, I don’t want them to come in because I think it’s going to be blown away. Maybe they’ll actually help it, but they might blow it.”
He went on to mention, “But we had a very good discussion with Iran. I can’t tell you whether we’re there or not. But it’s going to happen soon.”
Trump had previously revealed that he cautioned Netanyahu against actions that could jeopardize ongoing discussions.
“Well, I want to be honest. Yes, I did. The next question?” he responded when asked directly about the warning. “That’s not a warning,” he insisted. “I said, ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate.’ I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Despite this, the possibility of an Israeli strike remains. Officials from the Trump administration mentioned on Wednesday that they were reducing their presence in Iraq. Notably, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses approved the evacuation of military dependents from Northeast Africa, the Middle East, and parts of South and Central Asia.
The prime minister is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. diplomats in the region, as negotiations surrounding the nuclear deal could be stalling, potentially leading Israel to act against Iran as a way to send a message.
“Well, I don’t want to say it’s imminent, but it looks like it can happen very often,” Trump remarked when discussing the possibility of an Israeli strike.
“Look, it’s very simple. It’s not complicated. Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Other than that, I want them to succeed,” he further added.
Trump administration officials are scheduled for another round of talks with Iran. Back in May, the president had been optimistic about the potential for agreements, but recently received a more somber update, expressing concern that Iran was growing “more aggressive.”
