WASHINGTON – President Trump announced on Wednesday that he turned down an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
“I talked to Putin yesterday, and he actually suggested that he could help mediate,” Trump shared with reporters while discussing a new flagpole he had constructed.
“I told him, ‘Why don’t you focus on mediating your own issues first?’ So, I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s deal with Russia first.’
Trump’s rejection of the offer followed months of efforts to engage both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Just last month, Trump expressed frustration, calling the Kremlin’s actions “absolutely crazy” as they continued to target civilian areas in Ukraine.
Russia and China are two of Iran’s key allies and are believed to be running low on rockets and drones in light of the ongoing conflict.
Trump is contemplating the possibility of approving a US airstrike on the Iranian nuclear enrichment site at Fordow.
While overseeing the construction of the flagpole, Trump took the opportunity to discuss the Iranian situation in detail, even waving to construction workers nearby.
Israel has significantly degraded Tehran’s air defense systems in efforts to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons. Since Friday, Israel has also targeted and assassinated prominent Iranian military figures and scientists.
In an assertive stance, Trump has hinted at potential US intervention, even threatening harm to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei should Iranian forces attack US troops in the vicinity.
Questions linger over whether a 2,000-pound bomb deployed by Israel could successfully destroy the Fordow facility, which is built into the mountains.
Trump remarked that Iran should have negotiated ahead of Israel’s recent military actions, stating, “They should have made a deal before Israel struck.”
The Israeli military has utilized a 2,000-pound bomb on Iran’s nuclear site as tensions continue to escalate.
Additionally, Trump is weighing the option of authorizing a £30,000 “Bunker Buster” bomb aimed at the hidden enrichment facility at Fordow.
