Donald Trump will attempt to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran this week as the world stumbles to “the brink of nuclear war”.
The US president warned Tehran it should stop its bombardment and get round the negotiating table “before it’s too late”.
His chilling warning comes as the countries exchanged another barrage of missile attacks and as the ire of the world turns on the Islamic republic.
Mr Trump said: “I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it’s too late.”
He later took to his Truth Social platform to claim Iran rejected an earlier deal to curb its nuclear weapons development, saying: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!”
Sources suggest Persian Gulf nations — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman — have been urging the US to push Israel to stop its merciless bombing, warning that without a return to negotiations between the warring countries, the conflict could escalate into all-out war, endangering energy infrastructure across the Gulf and causing chaos to the global economy.
The White House is poised to propose talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abba Araghchi in an attempt to de-escalate the crisis.
The White House will propose talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abba Araghchi in an attempt to de-escalate the crisis.
It comes as leaders of the G7 group of superpower economies and the European Union, meeting in Canada, issued an unequivocal statement backing Israel and its right to wage war against Iran.
Israel enacted Operation Rising Lion last Thursday, unleashing hellfire and fury on Tehran in an effort to obliterate its burgeoning nuclear programme. Since then the two countries have been embroiled in tit-for-tat strikes.
The statement said: “We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
“In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel.
“We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians.
“Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.
“We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
“We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability.”
Earlier Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would end the conflict.
Mr Trump is said to have vetoed a plot to kill the cleric and politician fearing it would inflame the power keg situation but Mr Netanyahu said: “It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict.
“The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.”
Iran says there have been 224 deaths, mostly civilians, in five days, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed. Some 3,000 Israelis have been evacuated as a result of damage caused by Iranian strikes.
Power brokers in the Middle East are expected to pile pressure on Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu to agree to an immediate ceasefire and in return Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations.