‘I may do it, I may not do it’, Trump on Iran strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S President Donald Trump said he was considering on Wednesday whether the United States would join Israeli strikes on Iran and said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict.

Speaking as he watched installation of a new flagpole at the White House, Mr. Trump added that his patience “had already run out” with Iran and repeated his call for the Islamic republic’s “unconditional surrender”.

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“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Mr. Trump told reporters on the South Lawn when asked if he had decided whether to launch U.S. air strikes.

“I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”

Mr. Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme in a bid to end Israel’s air assault, but added that it was “very late.”

“I said it’s very late to be talking. We may meet. There’s a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference,” Mr. Trump added. “They’ve suggested that they come to the White House. That’s, you know, courageous, but it’s, like, not easy for them to do.”

When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: “Nothing is too late.”

Mr. Trump had favoured diplomatic route to end Iran’s nuclear programme, seeking a deal to replace the one he tore up in his first term in 2018.

But since Israel launched strikes on Iran six days ago, Mr. Trump has moved in behind the key U.S. ally and is now weighing whether to use U.S. military power against Tehran too.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Wednesday that the Pentagon was providing possible options to President Trump as he decides next steps on Iran, but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes.

Mr. Hegseth was on Capitol Hill for the last of his series of often combative hearings before lawmakers, who have pressed him on everything from a ban on transgender troops to his use of a Signal chat to share sensitive military plans earlier this year.

In questioning before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth said “maximum force protection” was being provided for U.S. troops in West Asia and that it is Mr. Trump’s decision whether to provide Israel a “bunker buster” bomb to strike at the core of Iran’s nuclear programme, which would require U.S. pilots flying a B-2 stealth bomber. He would not indicate what the U.S. may do next.

(With inputs from AFP, AP)