Trump Says Iran Missile Attack Hurts Talks, Sees Possible Deal by June 10
Summary
- Trump said Iran's ballistic missile launch does not help negotiations and urged Tehran to return to the table and reach an agreement.
- He said US-Iran negotiations were advancing in a way that could lead to a deal between June 8 and June 10.
- He said if Israel pushes ahead with retaliation, the ceasefire could collapse and full-scale war could resume, leaving the Middle East at a critical juncture.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
President Donald Trump urged Iran on June 7 to return to the negotiating table and strike a deal, while also pressing Israel to refrain from retaliating. His comments came after Iran fired about 10 ballistic missiles at northern Israel, ratcheting up tensions in the Middle East.
In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump said Iran had already launched its missiles and should now stop and return to the table for an agreement. The latest attack was "not helpful at all" to negotiations, he said.
Fox News reported that Trump said US-Iran talks were progressing in a way that could yield an agreement between June 8 and June 10.
In a separate call with Axios, Trump said no one was injured in Iran's attack and that he did not want Israel to retaliate. An Axios reporter later posted that account on X, saying he had spoken directly with Trump.
If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chooses to retaliate, the conflict will simply continue, as it has for the past 47 years or even 3,000 years, Trump said. He added that the US was very close to a final agreement with Iran and that it would be a good deal. He also stressed that he did not want the current situation to derail the negotiations.
Trump said he would call Netanyahu immediately and tell him not to retaliate. Israel has attacked, Iran has attacked, and there is no need for further strikes, he said.
Axios later cited a US official saying the two leaders did in fact speak by phone, though details of the call were not disclosed.
Iran's missile launch was the first since the ceasefire between the US and Iran took effect on April 8. It appeared to be retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah target in southern Beirut. The Israeli military ordered all schools in the north to close immediately after the launch.
Trump also voiced displeasure over Israel's strike in Lebanon, saying there had been no coordination.
If both sides heed Trump's call for restraint, negotiations could remain on track and the odds of a deal would increase. If Israel presses ahead with retaliation, however, the ceasefire could collapse and full-scale war could resume, leaving the Middle East at another critical juncture.
Shin Yong-hyun, Hankyung.com reporter yonghyun@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.
