Trump tells Iran to make deal or face 'more brutal' attacks
US President Donald Trump urged Iran Friday to make a deal or face "even more brutal" attacks, while keeping the door open for negotiations after Israel's deadly strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities.
Trump appeared to be sitting on the fence, a day after having publicly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off striking Iran only to see the key US ally go ahead anyway.
The operation killed senior figures -- among them the armed forces chief and top nuclear scientists -- and Iran has called Israel's wave of strikes a "declaration of war."
"There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left... JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he said.
Trump said that he "gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal."
He added that Israel -- which Trump has closely aligned with since his return to the White House -- has a lot of weapons thanks to the United States and "they know how to use it."
Trump was attending a National Security Council meeting Friday in the White House Situation Room.
- 'It's been excellent' -
But Trump later appeared to be making a political calculation about how best to respond to Israel's attack.
Less than a day earlier Trump had called on Israel to hold off an attack to make room for diplomacy, only for the key US ally to hit Iran as Trump was holding a picnic at the White House for members of Congress.
By Friday morning, however, Trump was calling the Israeli offensive "excellent" during a round of phone calls with US media.
"I think it's been excellent," ABC News quoted him as saying. "And there's more to come. A lot more."
Trump also gave mixed signals about the extent of US involvement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said Thursday that the United States was "not involved" in the strikes and warned Iran not to retaliate against any US forces in the region.
Trump, however, said on Truth Social on Friday that Israel had acted because a 60-day deadline that he had set for Iran had run out, implying that the two acted in concert.
His boasts about the "finest" US equipment that Israel had used -- a day before a huge parade in Washington on Trump's 79th birthday featuring US aircraft and tanks -- also muddied the waters.
Trump earlier told Fox News he had been made aware of the Israeli strikes before they happened, and stressed that Tehran "cannot have a nuclear bomb."
But at the same time Trump said Iran could have a second chance to negotiate.
"They missed the opportunity to make a deal. Now, they may have another opportunity. We'll see," Trump told NBC.
Trump also indicated that the Iranians were "calling me to speak" after the attacks to suggest they wanted to make a deal, without offering specifics.
During Trump's first term, he pulled the United States out of a landmark agreement to relieve sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
The United States and Iran have had several rounds of talks since Trump returned to the White House, but after initially striking an optimistic tone, they have foundered in recent days.
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The Pentagon is considering whether the agreement aligns with Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. Mr Marles on Saturday drew a parallel to Australia's own defence reviews that occur with changes in government, suggesting similar evaluations are a normal part of alliances. His comments follow the arrival of the USS America in Sydney on a goodwill visit on Saturday. "When we came to government, we did a review of our defence posture ... AUKUS was a key part of that, just as the British did when the new British Labor government came into power in July last year," Mr Marles told reporters in Geelong. "It is a very natural thing for an incoming government to engage in a review of this kind. It is actually exactly what we did. That's what the Trump administration are doing, we welcome it and we'll engage with it." Opposition Defence spokesman Angus Taylor, who was on the USS America as it made its way though the Sydney Heads, also stressed the critical nature of the US alliance. However he additionally emphasised the importance of adequate funding to support the objectives of the AUKUS. "We call on the government to make sure they engage with the United States to ensure AUKUS is successful into the future," Mr Taylor said. The AUKUS pact is aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. A key component of the pact is the provision for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, a capability deemed essential by the government for bolstering national security. Under the $368 billion submarine program, Australia is set to acquire at least three nuclear-powered Virginia-class subs from the US in the early 2030s before a new fleet is built for delivery from the 2040s. Australia has already demonstrated its commitment to the AUKUS partnership, paying almost $800 million to the US in February - the first of a number of payments - to help boost its submarine production. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese left Australia on Friday for the G7 summit in Canada but it is unclear if he will be able to secure a meeting with President Trump while there. Mr Albanese previously rebuffed calls from the US for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
