WASHINGTON, June  18, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - President Donald Trump said he was 
considering Wednesday whether the United States will join Israeli strikes on 
Iran and said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the 
conflict.
       
Speaking as he watched installation of a new flagpole at the White House, 
Trump added that his patience "had already run out" with Iran and repeated his 
call for the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender."
       
"I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," 
Trump told reporters on the South Lawn when asked if he had decided whether to 
launch US air strikes.
       
"I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to 
negotiate."
       
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House for 
talks on Tehran's nuclear program in a bid to end Israel's air assault, but 
added that it was "very late."
       
"I said it's very late to be talking. We may meet. There's a big difference 
between now and a week ago, right? Big difference," Trump added.
       
"They've suggested that they come to the White House. That's, you know, 
courageous, but it's, like, not easy for them to do."
       
When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too 
late."
       
Trump had favored diplomatic route to end Iran's nuclear program, seeking a 
deal to replace the one he tore up in his first term in 2018.
       
But since Israel launched strikes on Iran six days ago Trump has moved in 
behind the key US ally and is now weighing whether to use US military power 
against Tehran too.
       
       
- 'I've had it' -
       
       
Trump issued a series of bellicose statements on social media on Tuesday, 
saying that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an "easy target" 
and calling for Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!".
       
Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the 
United States of "irreparable damage" if it intervenes.
       
Asked on Wednesday what he meant by his earlier statement, Trump replied: 
"Two very simple words. It's very simple -- unconditional surrender."
       
"That means I've had it, okay? I've had it. I give up, no more, we go and 
blow up all the nuclear stuff that's all over the place," Trump said.
       
Trump meanwhile backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netahyahu to continue 
Israel's offensive against Iran. Iran has hit back with salvos of ballistic 
missiles.
       
Asked what he had told Netanyahu in a call on Tuesday, he said: "Keep 
going. I speak to him every day, he's a good man, doing a lot."
       
The US president however rebuffed Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer 
to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying Russia should end its own war in 
Ukraine first.
       
"He actually offered to help mediate, I said 'do me a favor, mediate your 
own. Let's mediate Russia first, okay? You can worry about this later," Trump 
said. 
       
Iran later denied it had offered to send officials to Washington.
       
"No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White 
House," Iran's mission to the UN said in a post on X. 
       
"The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 
"take out" Iran's Supreme Leader."