Trump sends mixed signals on Iran strikes with ceasefire hint

His comments came as Israel and Iran exchanged more strikes and as thousands of people protested in Iran’s capital. Shortly after 2.30am in Israel (Saturday morning AEST), Iran launched a barrage of missiles, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. At least 31 people were wounded in the Israeli city of Haifa.

In return, 25 Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes targeting “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” in western Iran. Iran’s Fars news agency said Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the nation’s biggest, but there was no leakage of hazardous materials. Israel’s defence minister said it had killed Saeed Izadi, a commander in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, European diplomats made little apparent headway in their four-hour meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, during which they urged him to revive diplomatic efforts with the US.

In a joint written statement issued once the talks ended, the three nations and the EU said they “discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear program”. They reiterated their concerns about the “expansion” of the nuclear program, adding that it has “no credible civilian purpose”.

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“We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the US,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters. “This is a perilous moment, and it’s hugely important that we don’t see regional escalation of this conflict.”

Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but emphasised that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking.

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,” he said.

No follow-up meeting has yet been scheduled, and there was no agreement on where or in what format such talks would take place, according to a European official.

Before a two-month-old negotiation process with the US was suspended following Israel’s attack, Tehran had signalled its willingness to accept some restrictions on its enrichment activities. Israel and the United States have said the Islamic republic shouldn’t be allowed to enrich uranium at all.

Trump played down the European diplomatic efforts.

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us,” he said. “Europe is not going to be able to help in this one.”

Trump also said Israel lacked the ability to destroy all of Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own.

Most experts say a successful strike against the subterranean nuclear enrichment site at Fordow would require American participation, since Israel doesn’t have the munitions – such as the most powerful “bunker-buster” bombs – able to penetrate that deep underground. But there’s debate on the issue, with some claiming Israel has the necessary tools.

“They really have a very limited capacity,” Trump said. “They could break through a little section, but they can’t go down very deep. They don’t have that capacity.” And the president added: “Maybe it won’t be necessary.”

Trump repeated his stated belief that Iran was a matter of weeks from getting a nuclear bomb when Israel attacked, and again said his national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, was wrong to suggest to Congress in March that there was no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon. Gabbard said on Friday the media had taken her previous testimony “out of context” and was trying to “manufacture division”.

Just before meeting the European diplomats, Araghchi made a brief appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying Israel’s “attacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes”, and insisting “we are entitled … and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty and security with all force”.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

Oil prices fell on Friday following a report from Reuters that Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment, though they’re still up significantly from before the conflict.

Israel launched its surprise attack on Iran last week, saying the threat of its sworn enemy acquiring nuclear weapons had to be neutralised. Iran responded with waves of missiles and drones of its own, and there have been heavy casualties on both sides.

Bloomberg, AP, Reuters