Saed News: On Wednesday, Trump confirmed reports that during a phone call with Netanyahu last Thursday, he had warned him against attacking Iran. He stated that he believes what eventually happens will surprise everyone. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iran might agree to a temporary halt in uranium enrichment — a report that Tehran has denied.
According to Saed News, on Wednesday, May 28, U.S. President Donald Trump stated:
“We are making very good progress with Iran. I think we’ll soon see something logical and reasonable happen, because there are only two possible outcomes: one is a smart result, and the other is a violent one — and I don’t think anyone wants to see the latter.”
He added: “In my view, we’ve made significant progress, and we’ll see what happens. They still need to agree to the final stages of the document, but I think you’ll be completely surprised by what’s coming — and it will be great for them. They can have a great country in the future.”
When asked by a reporter whether he had warned Benjamin Netanyahu during their phone call last week about any actions that could disrupt negotiations with Iran, Trump said:
“To be honest — yes, I did. But it wasn’t exactly a warning. I just said I don’t think that kind of action would be appropriate right now.”
Trump continued:
“We’re having very good talks with them, and I said I don’t think such actions are suitable at the moment. We might be able to resolve everything with a very strong document.”
Reiterating that he trusts no one, Trump said:
“I don’t trust anyone, and I don’t want this agreement to be based on trust. I want a very strong document — one that lets us send in inspectors, take whatever we want, destroy whatever we want — without anyone getting killed. I told him now is not the right time to act because we’re very close to a solution.”
The U.S. President emphasized that while the current situation could change at any moment — even with a single phone call — he believes the Iranian side is currently willing to reach an agreement.
“If we can do this, we’ll be saving many lives,” he said.
In response to a question about when he thinks the agreement might be reached, Trump said:
“I believe if anything is going to happen, it will be within the next few weeks.”
This marks the first time Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged his differences with Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran.
On Tuesday evening, Axios quoted a White House official reporting that Trump had warned Netanyahu. In recent weeks, numerous reports have highlighted disagreements between U.S. and Israeli leaders on how to confront Iran’s nuclear program. Axios had previously described the Thursday phone call between Trump and Netanyahu as “tense.”
On Sunday, Trump had said that “good things” might happen in talks with Iran within the next “two days.”
The New York Times reported Tuesday night, citing people familiar with the negotiations, that the main issue is uranium enrichment. At best, both sides may agree to a joint statement of principles to continue the talks.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Tehran and Washington were working toward an agreement on the framework of negotiations.
According to The New York Times, Steve Witkoff — Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs during the early rounds of nuclear talks — had told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the U.S. President had set a two-month deadline for reaching a final agreement and was not interested in a preliminary or interim deal.
However, according to sources familiar with the talks, Witkoff has recently dropped his initial opposition to an interim deal. Still, such a deal is unlikely to satisfy either Israel or some factions within Iran.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported — citing two informed sources — that Iran may agree to temporarily halt uranium enrichment in exchange for the release of its frozen assets and U.S. recognition of its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. This political agreement could pave the way for a broader nuclear deal.
Sources close to Iran’s negotiating team told Reuters that if Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions, a political understanding could be reached soon. One informed source, however, noted that this topic has not yet been raised in talks with the U.S.
According to these sources, under the proposed framework, Iran would halt uranium enrichment for one year and either ship a portion of its high-enriched uranium stockpile abroad or dilute it into fuel suitable for civilian use. Such steps could break the current stalemate in Tehran-Washington talks.
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday denied the Reuters report, stating:
“Continued uranium enrichment in Iran is a non-negotiable principle.”
Baghaei said the Reuters report was just another example of fabricated news that has been repeatedly denied and proven false.
The New York Times also reported that Witkoff and Oman — which is acting as a mediator in the negotiations — are exploring creative options to avoid a breakdown in talks. One such proposal is a regional project to produce nuclear fuel involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, other Arab states, and the U.S. However, the location for enrichment has yet to be determined.
Earlier, the New York Times, citing four Iranian officials, had reported a proposal to form a trilateral nuclear consortium in which Iran would conduct low-level uranium enrichment and send the enriched material to Arab countries for civilian use.
According to the report, Israeli officials are skeptical of any temporary deal that allows Iran to retain its facilities for months or years.
Experts say that to satisfy Israel and hardliners in the U.S. Congress, any interim deal between Tehran and Washington must require Iran to transfer its highly enriched fuel abroad or lower its purity to very low levels. This would allow the Trump administration to claim that the immediate threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon has at least been temporarily removed.
Last Tuesday, CNN reported — citing U.S. officials — that the United States had received intelligence that Israel was preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, and that its military had conducted drills in preparation for such an attack.
Axios also reported, citing two informed sources, that the Israeli military is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities quickly if negotiations between Tehran and Washington fail.
One source said the Israeli military believes the operational window for a successful strike may soon close, and if talks collapse, Israel must act swiftly.
According to a U.S. official cited in the report, the Trump administration is concerned that Benjamin Netanyahu might attack Iran even without Trump’s green light.
U.S. intelligence estimates suggest that Israel could be ready to launch a strike within seven hours of Netanyahu’s order — a very short window for trying to dissuade him.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how successful a unilateral Israeli attack would be without U.S. assistance. Some officials close to Netanyahu believe that if Iran retaliates, the U.S. would have no choice but to step in and support Israel.
According to The New York Times, Israeli officials have told their American counterparts that the Israeli Prime Minister may issue an order to attack even if a diplomatic agreement is reached.
