President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran and the ongoing U.S. efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement aimed at preventing military conflict with the country.
“We’re trying to make a deal so that there’s no destruction and death. And we’ve told them that, and I’ve told them that, and I hope that’s the way it works out,” Trump said. “But it might not work out that way.”
He noted that Iran had submitted a counter-offer after rejecting a U.S. proposal last week. While he did not disclose its details, he described the response as “not acceptable” and emphasized that further negotiations are needed, particularly regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Israel is prepared to take military action against Iran if necessary to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi revealed that Iranian officials warned him an Israeli strike on their nuclear facilities could strengthen Iran’s resolve to develop nuclear weapons.
“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Grossi said.
Meanwhile, while President Trump claimed Iran had already submitted a counterproposal, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said that Tehran has yet to do so and will present its own proposal that is “reasonable, logical, and balanced,” via Oman, once finalized.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected the nuclear deal proposed by the U.S., which reportedly calls for Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, saying it was “100 percent against our interests.”
“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” he said.
Khamenei emphasized that uranium enrichment remains central to Iran’s goal of achieving energy independence and that Tehran would not seek approval from Washington for its decisions.
