Trump Said He Warned Netanyahu Off Iran Strike as Nuclear Talks Continue

By Staff, Agencies

United States President Donald Trump has said that he told "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on any strike against Iran to give his administration more time to push for a new nuclear deal with Tehran, as several rounds of talks have been held in Oman and Italy.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday at the White House that he relayed to Netanyahu a strike “would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution”.

Netanyahu has been threatening a bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has said it would respond with severity if any such attack were launched.

The sources, close to the negotiating team, said on Wednesday that a “political understanding with the United States could be reached soon” if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions.

The sources told Reuters that under this arrangement, Tehran would halt uranium enrichment for a year.

The latest developments came as the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog group said that “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. But Rafael Mariano Grossi described the ongoing negotiations as a good sign.

“I think that is an indication of a willingness to come to an agreement. And I think that… is something possible.”