The president described the ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran as ‘painful for both parties.’
CALGARY, Canada—U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran isn’t faring well in its current conflict with Israel and should reengage in talks “before it’s too late.”
Israeli forces launched extensive airstrikes and drone attacks on Iran on June 13, in what Israeli leaders described as a “pre-emptive strike” to prevent Iran from producing its first nuclear weapons. The Israeli surprise attacks have damaged Iranian nuclear facilities and components of Iran’s ballistic missile program, and killed top Iranian military leaders and leading Iranian nuclear scientists.
Iran has since retaliated, targeting Israel with ballistic missiles and attack drones. The salvos have continued for four days, and some have broken through Israel’s air defense networks, causing rising damage, deaths, and injuries.
“It’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it’s too late,” Trump remarked to reporters at the start of the annual G7 summit.
Before the surprise Israeli attack, the United States had engaged in successive rounds of talks with Iranian officials about a deal to restrain the country’s nuclear ambitions. The United States had been a party to a 2015 agreement aimed at restraining Iran’s nuclear development. Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, saying that it didn’t adequately address security issues and failed to protect American interests.
Iranian leaders have repeatedly said they maintain a peaceful nuclear energy program, but have resumed producing highly enriched uranium since 2018.
In February, the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency assessed that Iran had stockpiled about 605 pounds (274.8 kilograms) of 60-percent enriched uranium. It would take uranium purity of about 90 percent to achieve weapons-grade fissile material.
Throughout the recent talks, U.S. and Iranian negotiators appeared split over whether Iran could continue to enrich uranium.
In the hours before the Israeli strikes on Iran, Trump said a deal appeared to be “fairly close.” Trump also said, “As long as I think there will be an agreement, I don’t want [Israel] going in.”
As he spoke to reporters on Monday, Trump said Iran had taken too long to come to a deal.
By Ryan Morgan and Emel Akan
