Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to postpone any planned military action against Iran, citing ongoing negotiations aimed at reviving a nuclear agreement.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he told Netanyahu that launching a strike at this time would be “inappropriate” due to promising developments in diplomatic discussions.
Trump’s remarks come amid heightened tensions, with Netanyahu openly warning of potential Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. In response, Iran has vowed a strong retaliation if it is targeted militarily.
Sources suggest that Iran might be willing to pause its uranium enrichment activities for a year, provided the United States releases billions in frozen Iranian assets and acknowledges Tehran’s right to civilian nuclear development. These proposals, according to Iranian officials close to the talks, could pave the way for a broader nuclear agreement if Washington agrees.
The negotiations—currently in their fifth round and taking place with Omani mediation in Rome—represent the most serious effort in recent months to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That deal, which imposed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, collapsed after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact in 2018.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), commented on the ongoing diplomatic efforts, saying “the jury is still out,” but he welcomed the dialogue as a positive sign of potential compromise.
U.S. negotiators continue to demand a full halt to uranium enrichment, citing proliferation concerns. However, Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and refuses to give up enrichment rights, calling such demands an attack on its sovereignty.
Tehran is instead urging the U.S. to reaffirm Iran’s right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to ease sanctions by releasing frozen oil revenues. Despite lingering differences, both sides appear cautiously optimistic about reaching a political understanding.
