Trump downplays reported Iran threat to abandon talks: ‘It doesn’t mean we’re going to start bombing’

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives at the White House, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives at the White House, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump says he is aware of reports that Iran has threatened to pull out of talks with Washington over expanding Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

However, he says Tehran has not passed along this message to negotiators.

“It’s an appropriate thing to say, because they’re better negotiators than they are fighters, but they haven’t informed us of that,” Trump says when asked about Iran state media’s claim of the purported threat from Tehran.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there,” Trump says during his latest interview with a phoning reporter. “We’ll keep the blockade.”

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