Trump: Iran proposed White House meeting, but it's "very late" for talks
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Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty
President Trump said Wednesday that Iran still wants to negotiate with the U.S. and even proposed sending a delegation to the White House, but that it was getting "very late" for talks and he might soon authorize strikes on Iran's nuclear program.
Why it matters: Trump is seriously considering U.S. strikes on Iran's underground nuclear facilities, which would spark retaliation on U.S. bases and other targets in the region and potentially draw the U.S. into a protracted conflict with Iran. But his remarks suggest he has not closed the door entirely on diplomacy.
- A senior U.S. official confirmed Iran proposed talks at the White House but said there are "no set plans" for such a visit, which would be the first such meeting at the White House since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. But Iran's mission to the UN swiftly denied that any such proposal had been made.
- "No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'take out' Iran's Supreme Leader. Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance," the statement reads.
Trump also reiterated his demand for "unconditional surrender" from Tehran during his remarks to reporters outside the White House. When asked if he gave Iran an ultimatum, Trump said: "You could say so. Maybe you could call it the ultimate ultimatum."
- Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded to Trump's "surrender" demand in a televised address Wednesday, saying the Islamic Republic "will not surrender" and if the U.S. takes military action "it will undoubtedly cause irreparable consequences to them."
What he's saying: "They want to negotiate. I ask: why didn't they negotiate two weeks ago they could have done fine. It is very sad to watch this. I told them to negotiate and last minute they said no and they got hit," Trump told reporters at the White House.
- He stressed that "nothing is too late" when it comes to diplomacy, but then added that when the Iranians reached out in recent days he responded that "it is very late to be talking" and that "there is a big difference between now and a week ago."
- "They even suggested they would come to the White House. That is courageous and not easy for them to do", he added.
Reality check: Iran was negotiating with the U.S. right up until Israel began its operation, with talks planned for last Sunday. Trump has contended that they did not move quickly enough.
The intrigue: At least one Iranian government plane landed on Wednesday in Oman, which has been the key mediator between the U.S. and Iran for the last few months.
- Such flights are fairly unusual. There were reports in the Arab press that Iranian negotiators were on board, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that.
Driving the news: Trump declined to say whether he made a decision to join the war but made clear he is considering it. "I may do it, I may not do it... nothing is finished until it is finished," he said. "We are not looking at a long term war. I just want them not to get a nuclear weapon."
- Trump said he didn't tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whether the U.S. would get more involved in the war. "I told Netanyahu, 'keep going.' I talk to him every day. So far he is doing a good job," Trump said.
- The president stressed that Iran is "defenseless" and added he doesn't know how long they can keep on fighting under the circumstances.
The latest: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to provide details of U.S. military plans in Iran during an open-door Senate hearing on Wednesday. He said only that if and when Trump orders a strike, the Pentagon "will be ready to execute it."
What to watch: Trump said the next week "is going to be very big. Maybe less than a week."
