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U.S. President Donald Trump said early Monday that he hopes Israel and Iran can reach a ceasefire agreement but cautioned that at times “you have to fight it out.”
Speaking to reporters before departing for the G7 summit in Canada, Trump said the United States would continue supporting Israel but declined to say whether he had asked its government to pause strikes on Iran or if Washington plans to join the attacks.
Asked if he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were coordinating their strategy, Trump said, “We get along great — and I think we have a lot of mutual respect.”
His comments came as a senior Israeli cabinet official said there was no real pressure on Israel to halt its operations. “We have many more surprises in store and great determination,” the official said. “Behind the scenes, initial mediation efforts are underway, but there’s no concrete ceasefire proposal yet.”
Meanwhile, a source familiar with ongoing diplomatic efforts said Iran has informed mediators from Qatar and Oman that it will not engage in ceasefire negotiations while under Israeli attack.
“The Iranians told the Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only negotiate seriously once Iran completes its response to Israel’s preemptive strikes,” the source said. He added that reports suggesting Iran sought U.S. involvement in promoting a ceasefire or restarting nuclear talks were inaccurate.
The exchange of statements followed a weekend of escalating violence, with Iranian missiles fired at Israel and Israeli airstrikes reported across Iran, including in the capital Tehran.