President Donald Trump has weighed in on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, calling on both countries to consider making peace, while also hinting that a military confrontation might be unavoidable beforehand.
“I think it’s time for a deal,” Trump told reporters, amid ongoing missile exchanges between the two countries that have heightened concerns of a full-scale war in the Middle East.
“But sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens,” he added during a press briefing at the White House before departing for a G7 summit in Canada.
This recent escalation, which began Friday with Israeli strikes that reportedly targeted key Iranian military personnel, nuclear experts, and strategic locations, marks a sharp turn in their long-standing rivalry, which until now had mostly been fought indirectly through proxy groups and covert operations.
Trump declined to confirm whether he had asked Israel to halt its bombardment of Iran. However, according to AFP, a senior U.S. official revealed that Trump had blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, “Both nations should make a deal, and will make a deal, many calls and meetings now taking place could lead to peace soon between the two adversaries,” he said.
