Donald Trump has said he 'can't say' whether he will authorise US military strikes on Iran, warning that it is 'very late' for negotiations. Speaking to reporters on the White House south lawn on Wednesday, the president teased: 'I may do it, I may not do it.'
Trump indicated he is souring on diplomacy after Iran launched a five-day barrage of attacks on Israel. 'I said it's very late to be talking... There's a big difference between now and a week ago, right?' he said, adding that his patience 'has already run out.'
The president revealed that Iran's leadership had reached out asking to come to the White House to strike a deal on their nuclear programme. However, he said it is 'too late' for talks following the attacks on Israel, which have been met with fierce Israeli retaliation including strikes on Iran's air defences and nuclear facilities.
When asked if he had given Iran an ultimatum, Trump responded: 'You could say so. Maybe you could call it the ultimate ultimatum.' He also mocked a reporter's question about striking Iranian nuclear sites, saying: 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do.'
Trump claimed Iran had been 'totally defenseless' after Israeli attacks using US weaponry, but warned that 'nothing is finished until it is finished.' He also boasted of helping to 'stop the war between Pakistan and India' after a recent flareup.
