U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Iran and Israel to reach a deal, suggesting that they might have to fight it out before coming to an agreement.
He made the statement while speaking to reporters amid a renewed exchange of missile strikes between the two nations, as tensions escalated and the conflict threatened to worsen.
“I think it’s time for a deal. But sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens,” Trump said, speaking at the White House before heading to Canada to take part in a G7 summit.
After years of hostility and a prolonged shadow war through proxies and covert operations, the latest escalation marks the first time Israel and Iran have exchanged fire with such intensity, raising fears of a drawn-out conflict that could spread across the Middle East.
The conflict erupted on Friday when Israel launched a series of attacks that killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, and targeted military bases, nuclear facilities, and residential areas across Iran.
Meanwhile, President Trump remained silent when questioned about whether he had urged Israel to halt its airstrikes on Iran.
Earlier, a senior U.S. official claimed that Trump had blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
