Trump says he won’t ask ‘winning’ Israel to stop attacking Iran

President Trump said it would be difficult for him to call on Israel to stop attacking Iran because Israel is “winning” in the week-old air war.

“It’s very hard to make that request right now. If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody’s losing,” Mr. Trump told reporters after getting off Air Force One in New Jersey Friday.

But, the president said, “we’re ready, willing and able” to negotiate, adding that he’s been speaking to Iran.

Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that Tehran won’t negotiate anything unless Israel stops its attacks.

Mr. Trump said his two-week timetable is the “maximum” that he’s willing to wait for Iran to agree to give up its nuclear program. Mr. Trump said he set the deadline to find out “whether or not people come to their senses.”

In a statement Thursday, Mr. Trump said: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”

He reiterated that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is “wrong” about her testimony to Congress in March that Iran was not currently building a nuclear weapon. It’s the second time the president has shut down her testimony.

He said he “might, depending on the circumstances,” support a ceasefire on the fighting between Israel and Iran while negotiations take place, but said warfare “is very hard to stop.”

Mr. Trump said it’s “hard to see” why Iran would need any nuclear power for its civilians because the country has oil.