Trump: "Iran Should Have Talked Sooner"
Netanyahu: "Committed to Eliminating Nuclear Weapons and Ballistic Missiles"
Iran Seeks Negotiations with Israel Through Mediators
Trump Rejects G7 Joint Statement on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran, currently engaged in armed conflict, wants to engage in dialogue to ease tensions with Israel. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that Israel will continue airstrikes until Iran's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs are completely eliminated.
On June 16 (local time), President Trump, ahead of a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Kananaskis, a resort town in Alberta, Canada, told reporters, "They (Iran) want to talk, but they should have done so earlier."
He added, "It is a painful situation for both sides, but I do not see Iran as winning this war."
Iran is reportedly seeking ways to prevent further escalation with Israel. According to Israeli authorities, the Israeli military has gained control over most of Iran's airspace, and airstrikes that began on June 13 have inflicted severe damage on key facilities related to Iran's missile and nuclear programs. With the deaths of Iran's top military leaders in the airstrikes, there is growing analysis that the position of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is becoming increasingly unstable.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Iran, through Arab mediators, conveyed its willingness to halt hostile acts against Israel and to enter into talks regarding its nuclear program. Iran specifically stated that it could return to the negotiating table on the condition that the United States does not participate in Israel's attacks against Iran.
However, the Israeli leadership appears determined to continue airstrikes with the goals of further destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and weakening the Iranian regime. At a press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "They want to stop the conflict, but they are still producing weapons of death, namely nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that threaten our existence. We are committed to eliminating these two threats." He added, "It would have been better if this could have been resolved differently, but we already gave them 60 days."
Previously, President Trump had proposed a 60-day deadline for nuclear negotiations with Iran in April. However, Iran did not accept the U.S. demands, and on June 13, one day after this negotiation deadline expired, Israel launched a surprise airstrike on Iran.
Meanwhile, President Trump was reportedly negative about issuing a joint statement at the G7 summit calling for easing tensions between Iran and Israel. The G7 leaders were preparing a joint statement supporting Israel's right to self-defense and emphasizing the need to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons. However, President Trump's rejection of the statement has revealed differences between the United States and other countries from the outset of the summit.
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