U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has reportedly rejected attempts by U.S. Middle East allies to open diplomatic talks aimed at ending the Israeli-U.S. conflict with Iran, Reuters reported, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.
“President Trump said that the new potential leadership in Iran has indicated that they want to talk and will eventually talk. Operation Epic Fury continues without restrictions,” Reuters quoted a senior White House official as saying.
Earlier, Trump claimed on Truth Social that Iran’s leadership and military had been so weakened by the US-Israeli strikes that they wanted to negotiate, but that it was “too late!”
Which nations tried to mediate the talks?
Oman, which brokered the talks before the war began, has tried several times to reopen communication channels, but the White House has indicated it is not interested, according to two sources.
You can follow the latest updates on the US-Iran conflict here
A senior White House official confirmed the development, saying Trump was not interested and remained focused on continuing the mission “unabated.”
“He is not interested at the moment and we will continue the mission without limitation. There may be a day, but not right now,” Reuters quoted the official as saying.
Egypt, which also played a role in mediation before the conflict broke out, has similarly tried to revive communication channels, according to three security and diplomatic sources. While these efforts have so far produced no progress, one source reportedly said they have helped secure some military restraint from neighboring countries targeted by Iran.
The development comes as the Israel-US-Iran conflict entered its second week on Saturday, March 14.
Conflict between Israel, USA and Iran
Iran launched retaliatory strikes after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on the Islamic Republic on Saturday, February 28 – which also killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The explosions were reported across Gulf cities – including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other key West Asian hubs – which are also home to US military bases.
On Friday, March 13, Iranian Press TV reported that a woman was killed in an airstrike near a Quds Day demonstration in Tehran.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military said its air force struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran in the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems and weapons factories, according to intelligence agency reports.
Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public statement since the accession of his father, Ayatollah Khamenei, reportedly promised to continue the attacks. He also said leverage should be used to close the Strait of Hormuz, the AP news channel reported.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping but is closed to vessels from countries that attack Iran, specifically the United States and Israel.
Trump declined the talks
