From ‘Agreed To Talk’ To ‘Too Late’: Trump’s Mixed Signals On Iran

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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Iran wanted to initiate talks, but declared it was “Too Late!”, as the conflict between the Washington-Israel coalition and Tehran continued to widen across West Asia.

The United States, alongside Israel, has sustained military operations against Iran since February 28. The offensive has resulted in hundreds of deaths, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior political and military figures in Tehran.

“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said, ‘Too Late!’” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social while commenting on an opinion piece.

Retaliation Expands Across The Region

Even as US and Israeli strikes continued on Tuesday, Iran carried out retaliatory attacks, widening the range of its missile and drone strikes to target several American assets in the region.

Iranian drones hit the US embassy in Saudi Arabia, causing minor damage and sparking a fire, after previously striking the mission in Kuwait. In response, Washington shut both missions and ordered non-emergency government personnel and their families to leave several countries across West Asia.

Tehran has also launched missiles and drones at neighbouring Arab states and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade passes.

Mounting Casualties

According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 787 people have been killed in Iran as a result of US-Israeli strikes.

In Israel, Iranian missile attacks have killed 11 people. In Lebanon, retaliatory Israeli strikes following attacks by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah have resulted in 52 deaths.

A Shift In Tone?

Trump’s latest remarks appear to contrast with his comments on Sunday, when he told Atlantic magazine that Iran’s new leadership wanted to engage in dialogue and that he had agreed.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” Trump said in the interview from his Florida residence.

The Republican leader, however, did not clarify who he intended to speak with or specify whether the conversation would take place on Sunday or Monday.