1 day ago
Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 23:55 IST
US President Donald Trump said an agreement over a nuclear deal is close with Iran and Israeli strike on Iran would be “inappropriate” at this juncture.
Trump has urged Israel to hold off on striking Iran as the US pushes for a new nuclear deal. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay any military action against Iran, as Washington continues efforts to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has repeatedly threatened airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program if no deal is reached. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned they may push ahead with developing a nuclear weapon using their growing uranium stockpile.
“I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution," Trump told reporters at the White House. “Now, that could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call. But right now, I think they want to make a deal. And, if we can make a deal, (it would) save a lot of lives."
Trump added that an agreement could come together “over the next couple of weeks, if it happens."
Israel dismissed a New York Times report claiming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to disrupt US-Iran nuclear talks by targeting Iran’s main enrichment facilities. Netanyahu’s office responded with a brief statement calling the report “Fake news", Reuters said in a report.
The New York Times said it stood by the report.
“The New York Times reporting on this matter is thorough and based on discussions with people directly familiar with the matter. We remain confident in what we published," a spokesperson told Reuters.
The newspaper said Israeli officials fear US President Donald Trump is so desperate for a deal with Iran that he might let Tehran hold on to its nuclear enrichment sites, something Israel sees as a hard red line.
What worries the Israeli more is the prospect of a stopgap agreement that would let Iran keep those facilities running for months, maybe even years, while a final deal is worked out.
On the US side, there’s growing concern that Israel could act alone. Intelligence assessments suggest Tel Aviv could launch a strike on Iran with as little as seven hours’ notice.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world 'Close To Solution': Trump Tells Israel To Halt Iran Strike, Netanyahu Denies Attack Threats
