‘I may do it, I may not do it’, Trump on Iran strikes

President Trump considers joining Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran seeks negotiations, Trump's patience runs out, diplomatic route favored.

U.S President Donald Trump said he was considering on Wednesday whether the United States would join Israeli strikes on Iran and said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict.

Speaking as he watched installation of a new flagpole at the White House, Mr. Trump added that his patience “had already run out” with Iran and repeated his call for the Islamic republic’s “unconditional surrender”.

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“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Mr. Trump told reporters on the South Lawn when asked if he had decided whether to launch U.S. air strikes.

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

Mr. Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme in a bid to end Israel’s air assault, but added that it was “very late.”

“I said it’s very late to be talking. We may meet. There’s a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference,” Mr. Trump added. “They’ve suggested that they come to the White House. That’s, you know, courageous, but it’s, like, not easy for them to do.”