President Donald Trump declined to say whether the US plans to join Israel’s military offensive on Iran, and said Tehran had reached out about the possibility of negotiations.
“I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters Wednesday at the White House when asked if he is moving closer to striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump said he encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push forward with his strikes on Iran, but said he gave his counterpart no indication in a Tuesday call that US forces would participate in the attacks.
“I said, ‘keep going,’” Trump said when asked about his message to Netanyahu.
The US president’s comments build further uncertainty about America’s involvement in the conflict, a move that could further escalate tensions in the Middle East. Trump said the Iranian government had contacted the US about the conflict and even proposed a White House meeting to settle the matter, yet he said his patience with the Islamic Republic had “already run out.” The US president did not close the door to talks but downplayed the likelihood they would bear fruit. The president did not say who from Iran had made contact with his administration.“I said it’s very late to be talking,” Trump said. “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago.” Responding to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rejection of his demand for unconditional surrender, Trump said, “I say good luck.”