'They'd like to talk': Trump says Iran looking to de-escalate with Israel
'Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late,' Trump said at the G7 Summit in Canada.
President Donald Trump said Iranian officials have indicated they want to talk about de-escalating hostilities with Israel as the two sides trade attacks and international leaders look for a way to end the conflict.
Trump told reporters at the G7 Summit in Canada he believes Iran is seeking an off-ramp because "they'd like to talk."
"They have to make a deal," Trump said. "And 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 brushed off a question about what it would take for the U.S. to get involved in the conflict, saying he didn't want to discuss it. Later when asked about intelligence-sharing with Israel, he said: “We’ve always supported Israel… Israel’s doing very well right now.”
Israel and Iran were in their fourth day of air strikes, with gas fields burning in Iran and Israeli apartment houses pummeled by ballistic missiles.
The strikes and counter-strikes began June 13, when more than 200 Israeli fighter jets struck dozens of military and nuclear targets in Iran, including top generals and scientists.
Iran retaliated with ballistic missile and drone strikes on Israel, which has continued to attack Iranian targets.
The Trump administration has been negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program with the goal of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear bomb when Israel attacked.
Although Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only, the International Atomic Energy Agency recently concluded Tehran was very close to reaching the 90% uranium enrichment level required to build a nuclear weapon.
Contributing: Reuters, Kim Hjelmgaard