Trump tells Netanyahu not 'appropriate right now' to strike Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks

U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his administration opposes a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities amid ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran, Trump revealed on on Wednesday.

“Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did… I told [Netanyahu] this would be very inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump told media reporters. While admitting that a military strike could become necessary in the future, the president emphasized that he is currently favoring a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear threat. 

 “That could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call. But right now, I think [Iran] wants to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, [that would] save a lot of lives,” Trump added.

He noted that there was progress in the talks with the Iranian regime. 

“We’re having very good discussions with [Iran], and I said [to Netanyahu], ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate right now.’ Because if we can settle it with a very strong document – with inspections and [not based on] trust.” 

“I want [the deal to be] very strong, where we can go in with inspectors, we can take whatever we want. We can blow up whatever we want, but [with] nobody getting killed,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly stressed that he will not allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons. 

“I think we’re going to see something very sensible,” Trump claimed without elaborating. He further stressed that the talks would either lead to a new deal or to a “violent” outcome that Washington seeks to avoid. The president argued that people will “be surprised [at] what’s happening there.” 

The New York Times recently stated that U.S. officials were increasingly concerned that Israel would strike Iran’s nuclear sites in an effort to undermine the ongoing nuclear talks. The report said Netanyahu’s call for an Iran strike was the reason for the recent “tense phone call” between him and Trump.

However, on Wednesday morning, Netanyahu’s office dismissed The New York Times report as “fake news.” 

While Trump is officially upbeat about the prospects of reaching an agreement with Tehran, there have reportedly been significant differences between Washington and Tehran concerning Iranian uranium enrichment, especially at weapons-grade enrichment level. 

The Trump administration has demanded that Iran end all enrichment and that all enriched uranium be transported out of Iran. Last Sunday, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, called uranium enrichment a “clear red line.” 

The Iranian regime responded by rejecting Washington’s demand for ending uranium enrichment. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi argued that Iran has a right to enrich uranium as a signatory of the international Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “and there is no scenario in which Iranians will permit deviance from that.” 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also rejected Washington's demand for Tehran ends its enrichment. 

“We will never give up our peaceful nuclear program,” Pezeshkian stated. “This is our right. We will continue to flourish even if you never abandon your pressure tactics.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran, which refers to the United States as the “Great Satan,” openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. The ayatollah regime officially denies that it seeks nuclear weapons, a claim that is dismissed by Western and Israeli military experts.

Furthermore, Tehran has insisted on enriching weapons-grade uranium, which is not necessary for a purely civilian nuclear program.

Tehran has recently claimed that it could potentially agree to freeze its uranium enrichment if Washington agreed to release frozen Iranian funds and accepts Tehran’s demand to enrich uranium for civilian use. 

Iran is currently facing an imploding economy, with the Iranian currency having lost much of its value against the U.S. dollar. 

“Tehran wants its funds to be transferred to Iran with no conditions or limitations. If that means lifting some sanctions, then it should be done too,” an unnamed source revealed.