Trump recently blocked Israel’s plan to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader. That’s according to multiple reports from unnamed U.S. officials. Now Trump says peace is coming “soon.”
The Israeli plan targeted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump shot it down in recent days, sources told Reuters and the Associated Press. The White House hasn’t responded to requests for comment.
“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. He added that “many calls and meetings” are happening behind the scenes.
Trump’s optimism seems premature. Both countries are talking tough, not peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Saturday that Israel’s campaign against Iran would intensify. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly threatened a “more severe and decisive” response to Israeli bombings.
These aren’t empty threats. Israel and Iran have been trading attacks through Sunday, with reports of Israeli strikes in Tehran. The Israel Defense Forces warned of incoming Iranian “missile barrages.”
Trump didn’t offer specifics about the supposed peace talks. He later telling ABC News he was “open” to Russian President Vladimir Putin serving as mediator. They had “a long talk about it,” Trump said.
The president pointed to recent success brokered between India and Pakistan. He claimed he achieved a cease-fire “by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion and sanity into the talks.”
Iran’s not buying the peace talk. Pezeshkian condemned the U.S., claiming Israel “is not capable of any action without permission of the U.S.” What we’re seeing today happens “with the direct support of [Washington, D.C.],” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back. He said Israel’s decision to strike Iran was “unilateral” and the U.S. is “not involved.”
The Iranian foreign ministry dismissed Rubio’s claims. They said the “acts of aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval” of U.S. officials. Iran also threatened retaliation against the U.S., saying Washington would “bear responsibility.”
This latest escalation started Thursday when Israel launched strikes on Iran’s main nuclear facility. Netanyahu said the attacks were meant to stop Iran from “buying for time” in nuclear talks with the U.S.
The strikes killed key Iranian officials. Among the dead: Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami and two nuclear scientists. Iran claims the strikes were “carried out with U.S. support” despite American denials.
World leaders are watching nervously. The Group of Seven summit begins Sunday in Alberta, Canada. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters he’s raised discussions to deescalate the conflict. He said there’s a “huge risk of escalation for the [Middle East] and more widely” because of Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump arrives at the summit late Sunday. Talks start Monday. The question is whether his diplomatic optimism matches reality on the ground. Right now, missiles are flying. Not peace treaties.
