Donald Trump's furious response to Vladimir Putin's offer to mediate in Israel-Iran war
The US president said the Russian despot stepped forward to help end the conflict between Israel and Iran, saying Moscow could help negotiate a settlement
Donald Trump expressed his anger at Vladimir Putin's proposal to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, suggesting that he should first "mediate his own" war in Ukraine.
The US president, whose strange suit appearance recently raised dementia fears, revealed that the Russian leader had offered to assist in resolving the conflict between Israel and Iran, proposing that Moscow could facilitate a settlement allowing Tehran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program while addressing Israeli security concerns.
However, Trump was infuriated by the offer from the Russian dictator. He stated: "He actually offered to help mediate, I said, 'Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay?' I said, 'Vladimir, let's mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later."
Earlier this year, Iran ratified a 20-year strategic partnership with Moscow. Although the agreement does not contain a mutual defense clause, it stipulates that both countries will collaborate against shared military threats, develop their military-technical cooperation, and participate in joint exercises.
Russia has denounced Israeli strikes as "categorically unacceptable" and cautioned that "all the consequences of this provocation will fall on the Israeli leadership."
Russia maintains a trusting relationship with Iran and assisted in constructing its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, located south of Tehran on the Persian Gulf. Over 200 Russian workers are engaged in building two additional reactors there, with Putin asserting that an agreement has been reached with Israel to ensure "their security will be ensured."
When Putin was asked about Russia's potential response if Israel were to eliminate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he sidestepped the question with a foreboding remark: "I don't even want to discuss such a possibility."
He continued by stating: "We are not imposing anything on anyone. We are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel."
Meanwhile, President Trump and his national security team are contemplating actions to permanently disable Iran's nuclear program.
A full week has passed since the missile attacks on Tehran began, yet Trump remains noncommittal regarding America's firm pledge to support Israel's capacity to conclusively mitigate the nuclear threat.
When pressed about the likelihood of the U.S. targeting Iran's nuclear sites, Trump's reply was enigmatic: "I may do it. I may not do it.
"Nobody knows what I'm going to do...Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate." Trump further lamented, "And I said: 'why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?"
Trump asserted that Iranian officials reached out to Washington, which contrasts sharply with Tehran's fierce rebuttal, as Iran's UN mission asserted: "No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House."
In a defiant stance, Khamenei guaranteed there would be no capitulation and cautioned that "any US military intervention will undoubtedly cause irreparable damage" to the already strained relations between the United States and Iran.
