WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he wanted a “real end” to the nuclear dispute with Iran and indicated he may send senior American officials to meet with the Islamic Republic as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth day.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said meanwhile that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could face the same fate as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and eventually hanged after a trial.
“I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and fire missiles at Israeli citizens,” Katz told top Israeli military officials. Shortly after, Iran’s state media reported an explosion was heard in Tehran.
Speaking to reporters after his departure from Canada, where he attended the Group of Seven na-tions summit on Monday, Trump predicted that Israel would not be easing its attacks on Iran.
“You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far,” he said.
Trump said he might send US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iran.
Washington has said Trump is still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran, even as the military confrontation unfolds.
Trump, who left the summit early due to the Middle East situation, said his departure had “nothing to do with” working on a deal between Israel and Iran after French President Emmanuel Macron said the U.S. had initiated a ceasefire proposal.
Something “much bigger” than that was expected, he said on his Truth Social platform late on Monday.
Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.
One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalcu-lation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as “extremely dangerous”. –Agencies
