U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire for a "real end" to the nuclear issue with Iran and suggested that he might send senior American officials to engage with the Islamic Republic, as the air conflict between Israel and Iran continued for a fifth consecutive day. He made these remarks during his late-night departure from Canada, where he had attended the Group of Seven summit on Monday, as reported by a CBS News journalist on the social media platform X.
Trump predicted that Israel would continue its attacks on Iran, stating, "You're going to find out over the next two days. Nobody's slowed up so far," as quoted by a CBS journalist on Air Force One. He mentioned that he might consider sending U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to engage with Iran.
Despite the ongoing military tensions, Washington indicated that Trump still seeks a nuclear deal with Iran. Meanwhile, world leaders at the Group of Seven summit urged for a de-escalation of the escalating conflict between the two regional adversaries, emphasising that Iran poses a threat to stability and should never possess nuclear weapons, while also affirming Israel's right to defend itself.
Trump, who departed the summit early due to the situation in the Middle East, stated that his exit was "not related to" efforts to broker a deal between Israel and Iran. This came after French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that the U.S. had proposed a ceasefire.
"Incorrect! He has no idea why I'm heading to Washington, but it definitely has nothing to do with a ceasefire. It's much more significant than that," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform late Monday.
Israel has initiated an air campaign following a surprise attack that has reportedly eliminated nearly all of Iran's top military leaders and leading nuclear scientists. The Israeli government claims it now controls Iranian airspace and plans to intensify its operations in the coming days.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that the Israeli offensive could conclude swiftly if Iran complies with U.S. demands for stringent limitations on its nuclear programme.
"To put it plainly, IRAN MUST NOT POSSESS A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I've repeated this countless times! Everyone should evacuate Tehran immediately!" Trump stated on Monday.
On Tuesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that a "more powerful" wave of missiles had recently been launched towards Israel, according to the state news agency. A senior commander in the Iranian army indicated that a new wave of drones would target Israel.
Iran's Nournews reported on Tuesday that three people were killed and four others injured in an Israeli attack in the central city of Kashan.
Iranian media reported explosions and intense air defence activity in Tehran early Tuesday, with smoke rising in the eastern part of the city following what are believed to be Israeli projectiles. Air defences were also activated in Natanz, which is home to significant nuclear facilities located 320 kilometres (200 miles) away, according to the Asriran news website.
Reza Sepahvand, a member of parliament from Khorramabad, told the Iranian labour news agency that most incidents in Iran are attributed to "infiltrators" rather than direct actions from Israel, noting that 21 people were killed in the western province of Lorestan.
On the same day, Israel's military announced that it had killed Iran's wartime chief of staff and conducted extensive strikes on Iranian military targets, including weapons storage sites and missile launchers.
Iranian officials have reported 224 fatalities, primarily among civilians, while Israel has stated that 24 civilians have lost their lives. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich noted that nearly 3,000 Israelis have been evacuated due to damage caused by Iranian strikes.
Sources informed Reuters that Tehran has requested Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to encourage Trump to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to an immediate ceasefire. In exchange, Iran would demonstrate flexibility in nuclear negotiations, according to two Iranian sources and three regional sources.
CHINESE URGED TO LEAVE ISRAEL
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on X, "If President Trump is sincere about pursuing diplomacy and wants to end this war, the next steps are critical. Israel must stop its aggression; if military actions against us do not cease completely, we will continue to respond."
Iran asserts that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and emphasises its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In contrast, Israel, which is not a member of the NPT, is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it neither confirms nor denies this.
Oil prices surged over 2% early Tuesday in Asia, recovering from Monday's losses following Trump's evacuation warning and reports that Iran was looking to de-escalate hostilities. As security concerns intensified and Israeli airspace was closed due to the conflict, the Chinese embassy in Israel advised its citizens to exit the country through land border crossings as soon as possible. The air conflict between Iran and Israel, the largest confrontation between the two longstanding adversaries, escalated on Monday when Israel targeted Iran's uranium enrichment facilities.
Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, informed the BBC that the Natanz facility suffered significant damage, likely resulting in the destruction of 15,000 centrifuges, whereas Iran's Fordow plant remained mostly unharmed. Scheduled talks between the United States and Iran, facilitated by Oman, were set for June 15 but were cancelled, with Tehran stating that it could not engage in negotiations while facing attacks.
