Trump on Iran strikes: 'I may do it, I may not do it'

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is weighing whether the United States will join Israel in strikes against Iran, revealing that Tehran has reached out to seek negotiations to end the conflict.

Speaking as he watched the installation of a new flagpole at the White House, Trump said his patience "had already run out" with Iran and reiterated his call for the Islamic Republic’s "unconditional surrender." When asked if he had decided whether to launch US air strikes, he replied, "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do."

Trump warned, "Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate." He revealed that Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in an effort to end Israel’s air assault, but he added, "it was very late." He said, "I said it's very late to be talking. We may meet. There's a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference."

Commenting on Iran’s proposal, Trump said, "They've suggested that they come to the White House. That's, you know, courageous, but it's, like, not easy for them to do." When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he insisted, "Nothing is too late."

Earlier, Trump had favored a diplomatic approach to end Iran’s nuclear program, seeking a new deal to replace the one he withdrew from in 2018. However, since Israel launched strikes on Iran six days ago, Trump has sided firmly with the key US ally and is now considering the possibility of using US military power against Tehran as well.

'I've had it'

On Tuesday, Trump issued a series of aggressive statements on social media, describing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an "easy target" and demanding Iran’s "unconditional surrender." When pressed on Wednesday about what he meant by this demand, Trump clarified it as his way of saying he was done tolerating the situation and was ready to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, he expressed strong support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, encouraging him to continue the military offensive against Iran, noting they spoke regularly and praising Netanyahu’s efforts.

Trump also dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate the Israel-Iran conflict, suggesting instead that Russia should focus on resolving its own war in Ukraine first. In response, Iran denied ever seeking talks with Washington, condemning Trump’s claims and calling his threats against Khamenei “cowardly” and “despicable.” The Iranian mission to the U.N. emphasized that no official from Iran had ever sought to “grovel” at the White House, countering the narrative pushed by the US president.