President Trump said Saturday that the war between Israel and Iran needs to come to an end, following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation took place just days after Israel launched strikes against Iranian targets, a move that has intensified concerns at the White House over the growing conflict.
In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump described the call as a friendly exchange in which Putin wished him a happy birthday but also focused on the crisis unfolding in the Middle East. “President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” Trump wrote.
The nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat were canceled in light of the Israeli strikes, according to Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi. A U.S. official confirmed the cancellation but expressed hope that Iran would still return to negotiations. “While there will be no meeting Sunday, we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Israeli military operations intensified over the weekend, with the IDF claiming full control of the airspace around Tehran. A senior White House official said the administration remains deeply concerned about the escalating violence and is urging Iran to reengage in diplomacy. “Whatever happens today cannot be prevented. But we have the ability to negotiate a successful peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing. The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program,” the official told Axios.
During their conversation, Trump reportedly told Putin that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is prepared to resume nuclear negotiations with Iran’s foreign minister, according to Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. Putin has previously encouraged Trump to take a more active role in facilitating a diplomatic solution between Washington and Tehran.
This latest crisis serves as a significant test of Trump’s ongoing efforts to improve U.S.-Russia relations in order to jointly address global conflicts. Both Trump and Putin held separate calls on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Putin also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Kremlin said Putin offered to mediate between the two sides to prevent further escalation.
Trump also spoke Saturday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who emphasized the need to avoid a wider regional conflict. Erdogan warned that uncontrolled escalation must be prevented at all costs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that Tehran would not continue nuclear talks with the U.S. as long as Israel’s attacks continue. He accused Washington of directly supporting the Israeli strikes, according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry. However, two sources familiar with internal discussions said Araghchi had privately told several foreign ministers that Iran may be open to resuming talks once it completes its retaliation against Israel.
In the same 50-minute phone call with Trump, Putin also said Russia is ready to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine after June 22. Trump responded by encouraging Putin to end the war and noted that discussions are underway for a large prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.