U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he might support a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, saying the decision would “depend on the circumstances.” His remarks come amid a week-old aerial conflict between the two Middle Eastern powers that has already resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump added,
“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one.”
Diplomatic Efforts in Geneva Fall Short
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister held talks with European leaders in Geneva on Friday in an attempt to revive diplomacy surrounding its nuclear program. Although European ministers urged Iran to re-engage with Washington, the meeting ended without substantial progress.
Rising Conflict: Air War Since June 13
The aerial conflict began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Israel claims the strikes were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran, in response, has carried out its own strikes on Israeli targets.
- Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
- Israel, believed to have nuclear weapons, is not a signatory to the NPT.
Casualty Figures
- 639 people have reportedly died in Iran due to Israeli strikes, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- 24 Israeli civilians have died in retaliatory attacks by Iran, according to Israeli sources.
U.S. Role Still Unclear
The White House says Trump will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will intervene. While he has suggested both diplomatic and military options, no definitive path has been confirmed.
“I’m not going to talk about ground forces, because the last thing you want to do is ground forces,” Trump added, suggesting reluctance to escalate the conflict further.