Trump weighs role in Israel strikes, says Iran seeks talks

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has not yet decided whether the United States will join Israel's military strikes on Iran, while claiming Tehran now wants to negotiate — but may have waited too long.

“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,” Trump told reporters during an event at the White House, where he unveiled one of two new flagpoles.

Trump, who held his second Situation Room meeting in two days with his national security team, left open the possibility of U.S. military action but emphasized uncertainty around the decision.

“I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate,” Trump said.

He added that “the next week is going to be very big” regarding developments with Iran.

Trump’s comments came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected U.S. demands and warned of “irreparable damage” if the United States intervenes. The exchange of threats follows a week of escalating tensions after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched military strikes against Iran.

On Tuesday, Trump told AFP in the Oval Office that leadership change in Tehran “could happen,” a day after calling Khamenei an “easy target.”

While some of his Republican allies push for a hardline response, Trump — who faces pressure from isolationist voices within his base — emphasized that no decision has been finalized.

“I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final (decision),” Trump said. “I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change. Especially with war.”

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump had approved military plans for Iran but paused implementation to assess whether Tehran would scale back its nuclear ambitions. A White House official, when asked about the report, told AFP: “All options are on the table.”

Despite the high stakes, Trump spent more than an hour overseeing the installation of the new flagpoles, appearing in no immediate rush to act.

“They want to come to the White House, I may do that,” Trump said, referring to possible negotiations with Iran. But he also warned that it may be “very late to be talking... There's a big difference between now and a week ago.”

Iran denied reaching out to the U.S., saying no such offer had been made. “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,” Iran's mission to the United Nations posted on X.

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in a new deal with Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term. However, the recent Israeli offensive has shifted the dynamic, with Trump increasingly aligning himself with Netanyahu.

He claimed Wednesday that Iran is “weeks” away from developing a nuclear weapon and said only the United States has the “bunker buster” bombs capable of targeting Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility.

“But that doesn't mean I'm going to do it,” Trump added.

Trump also said he has encouraged Netanyahu to continue Israel’s offensive, stating they are in contact daily. He dismissed a mediation offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Israel-Iran conflict.

“He actually offered to help mediate, I said 'do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay? You can worry about this later,’” Trump said.

As tensions continue to rise, Trump’s decision on potential U.S. involvement remains one of the most consequential foreign policy choices of his presidency.