Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is still considering whether the United States will directly participate in Israel’s ongoing military offensive against Iran. While observing the installation of a new flagpole at the White House, Trump reiterated that his patience with the Islamic Republic of Iran has run out and repeated his call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
When asked whether the U.S. would launch airstrikes on Iran, Trump responded cryptically: “Whether we engage directly or not—only I know the answer, and no one else will.” His remarks have further fueled speculation about potential American involvement in the escalating conflict.
Trump emphasized that Iran has already “suffered a lot” and claimed Tehran is now eager to negotiate. He said Iranian officials had signaled interest in sending representatives to the White House for talks aimed at ending Israel’s aerial strikes—primarily by addressing Iran’s controversial nuclear program. However, Trump dismissed the gesture as “too late.”
“In my opinion, the time for negotiations has already passed. There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” he said.
On Tuesday, in a social media post, Trump doubled down on his demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender. Asked to clarify, he said, “Unconditional surrender is the simplest path forward for them. It means I offered them an easy way to talk. But now, I’ve run out of patience. We’re going into Iran and destroying every nuclear site we know of.”
Yet, when asked whether it is truly too late for diplomacy, Trump left a window open: “It’s not over yet. Something can still be done. Time can still be brought under control.”
Trump’s remarks suggest a rapidly narrowing space for diplomacy, even as global leaders urge restraint. With military escalation on the horizon, the world watches closely to see whether the U.S. will join Israel in direct military action against Iran.
