Trump says Israel should not strike Iran, as nuclear deal ‘close’

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump called Thursday on Israel not to attack Iran, saying a deal on its nuclear programme remained close, but Tehran defiantly vowed to increase its output of enriched uranium ahead of new talks.

Trump acknowledged that an Israeli strike on Iran “may very well happen,” although he stopped short of calling a strike imminent, and said the risk of “massive conflict” led the United States to draw down staff in the region.

“We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement,” Trump told reporters.

Asked about his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”

Trump quickly added: “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”

Trump’s Middle East pointman Steve Witkoff is set to hold a sixth round of talks with Iran on Sunday in Oman, which has mediated.

Trump again described himself as a man of peace.

“I’d love to avoid the conflict. Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher — meaning they’re going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now,” he said.

US TROOPS IN CROSSHAIRS

Iran has ramped up rhetorical pressure before the talks, including with a threat to strike American bases in the region if the negotiations break down and conflict erupts.

“If the talks fail, the risk of military escalation becomes much more immediate,” said Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

The United States on Wednesday said it was reducing embassy staff in Iraq — long a zone of proxy conflict with Iran.

Israel, which counts on US military and diplomatic support, sees the cleric-run state in Tehran as an existential threat and hit Iranian air defences last year.

Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the massive Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Israel again called for global action after the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused Iran of non-compliance with its obligations.

The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.

The IAEA’s board of governors adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s “non-compliance” with its nuclear obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), carried by 19 votes in favour, out of 35 in total, diplomats said.

The resolution could lay the groundwork for European countries to invoke a “snapback” mechanism, which expires in October, that would reinstate UN sanctions eased under a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by then US president Barack Obama.

IRAN SAYS MOVE ‘EXTREMIST’

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as “extremist” and blamed Israeli influence.

Iran, he said, had upheld its commitments under the NPT but rolled back adherence to the 2015 deal after Trump withdrew the United States during his first term as president and imposed sweeping sanctions.

“They can’t expect us to fulfil them without them (Western countries) honouring any of their commitments,” Eslami said.

Iran’s UN representative Amir Saeid Iravani has said Tehran will consider “proportionate responses” if the snapback mechanism is triggered — including “starting the process of withdrawal” from the NPT.

THE DIVISION

Currently, the US policymakers are divided, as newcons – known for their hawkish views – are pushing for action against Iran, in line with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

However, Trump has always portrayed himself as dealmaker and has been advocating an end to military conflicts like the Ukraine war.

Earlier in the day, Iran, despite all the pressure, said a third nuclear enrichment site that Tehran announced as a counter-measure to a UN nuclear watchdog resolution has already been built and is ready to operate when equipped with machinery.

DISAPPOINTED IN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA

Trump said he was disappointed in both Ukraine and Russia for failing to conclude a peace agreement in the three-year war started by Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour.

“I’m very disappointed in Russia, but I’m disappointed in Ukraine also, because I think deals could have been made,” Trump told reporters at a White House event, saying that up to 6,000 people were dying every week in the war, including civilians “getting hit by missiles.”

MIGRANT WORKERS ON FARMS AND HOTELS

On the other hand, Trump said his administration wanted “to do something” to protect migrant workers on farms and hotels who may be undocumented from being targeted for deportation.

“We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon, I think. We can’t do that to our farmers – and leisure too, hotels,” Trump told reporters amid the ongoing immigration crackdown.

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Despite a hawkish approach on immigration, the softer tone with respect to this subject came, as the economy of red states predominantly revolves around agriculture. With the White population unable to provide labour for farming, the landowners use immigrants, mostly illegal, as farmworkers.

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At the same time, big businesses in tourism industry like casinos and hotels, which mainly support Trump, are also hit badly by Trump’s immigration policy.