US President Donald Trump called on Iran to return to negotiations, saying, “You launched missiles and that’s enough. Come back to the negotiating table and make a deal.”
He added to Fox News, “We are close to reaching an agreement with Iran; the strikes will not help the negotiations succeed,” noting that he was not happy about the Israeli raids on Beirut today.
Axios quoted Trump as saying he would call Netanyahu and ask him not to respond to the Iranian attacks.
According to recent international reporting, Trump urged Tehran to “get back to the table” and pursue a negotiated settlement, warning that continued military escalation would only deepen instability in the region.
The appeal comes as the conflict has entered a volatile phase, with Iran and Israel exchanging missile strikes following renewed hostilities linked to wider regional fighting. Israeli officials said they intercepted incoming Iranian missiles, while Tehran has justified its actions as retaliation for strikes on allied positions in Lebanon.
Trump has maintained that a diplomatic breakthrough is still possible, insisting that discussions with Iran remain “very close,” even as intermittent exchanges of fire continue across multiple fronts.
The United States, meanwhile, continues to maintain a heightened military posture in the region, including naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains a critical global energy chokepoint amid ongoing tensions.
Analysts say the situation reflects a fragile balance between limited diplomatic engagement and sustained military confrontation, with both sides continuing to signal openness to talks while simultaneously escalating battlefield pressure.
International mediators have warned that without urgent de-escalation, the conflict risks widening further, drawing in additional regional actors and disrupting global energy and trade flows.
Despite the intensifying violence, diplomatic channels remain technically open, though trust between Washington and Tehran remains severely strained after months of confrontation.
