Trump says Israel should not strike Iran, as nuclear deal 'close'
Trump acknowledged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considering a strike, which he said could spark a "massive conflict" -- leading to a US decision to draw down embassy staff in the region.
"We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement," Trump told reporters.
Asked about his discussions with Netanyahu, Trump said: "I don't want them going in, because I think it would blow it."
Trump quickly added: "Might help it actually, but it also could blow it."
Trump's Middle East pointman Steve Witkoff is set to hold a sixth round of talks on Sunday in Oman with Iran, which defiantly said it would raise levels of uranium enrichment -- the key sticking point in talks.
Trump again described himself as a man of peace and said he would prefer a negotiated settlement with Iran.
"I'd love to avoid the conflict. Iran's going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher -- meaning they're going to have to give us some things that they're not willing to give us right now," he said.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Airlines halt many Middle East flights after Israel hits Iran
Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspaces after Israel hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran. Israel said Tehran launched drones in retaliation. Air India's New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware. Its London-New Delhi flight had just entered Iranian airspace and was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to Flight Aware. Air India diverted or called back a total of 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States "due to the emerging situation in Iran". Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes. Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had "temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region". Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv "until further notice" following the closure of Israeli airspace. "Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time," a spokesman for the French airline told AFP, adding that "the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority". Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya instructed Russian airlines not to fly "in the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran" or use airports in Israel and Iran. It said the restrictions will stay in place until June 26 or until further notice. German airline group Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31. It also extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights for the same period. Swiss airline, which is owned by Lufthansa, suspended its Tel Aviv flights until October 25 while those to Beirut were suspended until the end of July. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi airport warned "flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)" as a result of the Israeli strikes. Dubai's airport also announced flight delays and cancellations due to the closure of airspaces in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Israel strikes Iran: what we know
Iran immediately responded by launching drones against Israel, and called the Israeli attack "a declaration of war". US President Donald Trump -- although saying his country was not involved -- warned Iran there will be more "death and destruction". International calls for restraint are multiplying, as fears grow the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict. Here is what we know: What was hit? The attacks started in the early hours of Friday -- a day of rest and prayer in Iran. Israel hit a key underground nuclear site in Natanz several times, Iranian state television said, reporting that most damage was at "surface level". Other key nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan were not immediately struck, said the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, citing Iranian authorities. Additional strikes were reported against sites in Iran's northwest. The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the chief of staff of its armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri, were killed, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards said that its aerospace commander, Amirali Hajizadeh, was also killed. He was in charge of Iran's ballistic missile forces. Iranian media said several nuclear scientists were killed. Iran said 95 people were wounded. State television said senior Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani was hurt in one of the strikes. The Israeli raids will "continue as many days as it takes", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Iran's response? Iran launched some 100 drones in retaliation, according to the Israeli military, which said "most" were intercepted outside Israeli territory. The bigger concern is Iran's sizeable arsenal of ballistic missiles. Khamenei warned Israel faces a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks. Iran's foreign minister called the Israeli attacks "a declaration of war" and urged UN Security Council action. Iran had previously warned it would hit US military bases in the Middle East if conflict occurred. The United States pulled out non-essential personnel from several sites days ahead of the Israeli attack. Internet restrictions were imposed across Iran, the country's communications ministry said, adding they would be lifted "once normalcy returns". US involvement? Trump said Israel warned him of its raids ahead of time, but insisted the United States was not involved. He warned Iran that the "next planned attacks" will be "even more brutal" and said Tehran should cut a deal to roll back its nuclear programme "before there is nothing left". The US leader has repeatedly said he will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has long denied seeking atomic bombs, but had been enriching uranium to a level very close to be able to make them. The United States and Iran had been holding talks on the issue. The next round, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, now looked to be cancelled. Israel, Trump said, has a huge military arsenal thanks to the United States and "they know how to use it". Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the United States would protect its forces in the Middle East. "Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel," Rubio said. Reactions The attack, and likely Iranian response, is fuelling international alarm. Many capitals were urging restraint, fearing the consequences if the Israel-Iran conflict widened and drew in the United States, and if Middle East oil production and shipments were impacted. Oil prices leapt dramatically on Friday, trading sharply up to around $75 a barrel. The leaders of France, Germany and Britain were to hold a call to discuss the Israeli strikes, Berlin said. Several airlines cancelled flights servicing the region, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air France and Lufthansa. Syria closed its airspace. In Tehran, lines of motorists formed at service stations for fuel, residents stocked up on supplies, and protests were held against the Israeli airstrikes. © 2025 AFP
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
'Unacceptable': Iranians seethe after Israeli onslaught
The aerial onslaught killed several of the military's top brass, targeted an array of leading scientists and struck military and nuclear sites across Iran in an unprecedented attack that left many seething with anger. "How much longer are we going to live in fear?" asked Ahmad Moadi, a 62-year-old retiree. "As an Iranian, I believe there must be an overwhelming response, a scathing response." The raids appeared to push the longtime enemies into full-blown conflict following years of fighting a shadow war mostly conducted through proxies. Iran regularly arrests individuals it accuses of spying for Israel amid a flurry of targeted assassinations and acts of sabotage targeting its nuclear programme in recent years. At least six scientists involved in Iran's nuclear programme were killed in Friday's strikes. "They've killed so many university professors and researchers, and now they want to negotiate?" Moadi exclaimed, referring to calls for Iran to go ahead with nuclear talks with Israel's US ally planned for this weekend. As Iran continued to assess the damage, some residents rallied in the streets of Tehran chanting: "Death to Israel, death to America," while waving Iranian flags and portraits of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State television said similar demonstrations were held in cities across the country. The Israeli strikes followed repeated threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to finally cap a years-long quest to strike Iran's nuclear programme. "We can't let this bastard continue, or we'll end up like Gaza," Abbas Ahmadi, a 52-year-old Tehran resident, told AFP from behind the wheel of his car. "Iran must destroy him, it must do something." – 'If God wills it' – Friday's attacks came after more than a year of soaring tensions as Israel took on Iran's regional allies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen. Amid the tensions, Israel and Iran exchanged aerial barrages on two separate occasions last year. while stopping short of a full-scale war. But following Friday's attack, all bets were off over what would come next, with Khamenei warning Israel faced a "bitter and painful" fate, while the Iranian military said there would be "no limits" to its response. Apart from scattered protests, Tehran's streets were largely deserted, except for queues at petrol stations, a familiar sight in times of crisis. Air traffic was halted at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport amid disruption across the region. In the upscale district of Nobonyad in north Tehran, rescuers continued to comb through the rubble of two apartment blocks targeted in Israeli strikes. Families with tear-streaked faces gathered nearby. "They want to deprive us of our nuclear capability — that's unacceptable," said Ahmad Razaghi, 56, calmly echoing the official line. For Farnoush Rezaei, a 45-year-old nurse wearing a colourful hijab, Friday's attacks represented a final act by Israel -- a country "on its last breath". Iranian leaders have for decades insisted that Israel will "soon" disappear. "If God wills it, at least a bit of peace will come from this," said Rezaei.
