US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay any military action against Iran amid ongoing nuclear negotiations.“Well, I’d like to be honest, yes I did,” Trump said when asked if he had told Netanyahu in a call last week not to take any action that could disrupt Washington’s talks with Tehran.Pressed on what he told the Israeli Prime Minister, Trump replied: “I just said I don’t think it’s appropriate, we’re having very good discussions with them.”He added: “I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution. “I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives.” According to Times of Israel, Netanyahu and Trump had engaged in a heated phone call last week over how to confront Iran.Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, “I want a diplomatic solution with the Iranians. I believe in my ability to make a good deal.” He emphasized his preference for a negotiated agreement that serves both sides’ interests.Meanwhile, Trump signaled potential progress in the talks with Tehran, suggesting that a breakthrough announcement could come within days.“We’ve had some very, very good talks with Iran. And I don’t know if I’ll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good,” Trump said while speaking in northern New Jersey.“We’ve had some real progress, serious progress. Let’s see what happens, but I think we could have some good news on the Iran front,” he added.Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and US State Department policy planning director Michael Anton represented the United States during the latest (fifth) round of talks with Iran, held over the weekend at the Omani embassy in Rome.These Oman-mediated negotiations, which began in April, mark the highest-level direct contact between the two nations since the US exited the 2015 Iran nuclear deal during Trump’s first term. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” strategy while remaining open to diplomacy — though warning of military action if talks fail.Iran, for its part, seeks a new deal that would ease crippling economic sanctions. However, following the latest talks, Iranian Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi urged caution, stating that “the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.”Oman’s foreign minister echoed this sentiment, saying the talks concluded with “some but not conclusive progress.” The latest round took place ahead of a key June meeting of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is set to review Iran’s nuclear activities.
