WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday he rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to help mediate the Iran-Israel conflict — telling him to focus on brokering an end to the Ukraine war first.
“I spoke to Putin yesterday and he actually offered to help mediate,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn as he erected a large new flagpole.
“I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first.’ I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later.’”
Trump rejected the offer after attempting for months to force Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Putin to make peace — with the US leader left fuming last month when the “absolutely CRAZY” Kremlin chief instead continued to bomb civilian areas of his neighboring nation.
Russia and China are among the largest nations friendly toward Iran’s government, which is believed to be running low on supplies of rockets and drones less than a week into the conflict.
Tehran’s air defense capabilities have been largely knocked out — as Israel bombs notable Iranian nuclear facilities in an effort to block the development of nuclear weapons. The Jewish state also has assassinated leading Iranian military officials and scientists since Friday.
Trump is openly weighing US intervention in the conflict and threatened to kill Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei if his government attacks American troops in the region.
Israel has used 2,000-pound bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Trump is considering authorizing the use of a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” against the Fordow enrichment facility concealed beneath a mountain.
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