From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Trump said to believe Iran still interested in making a deal
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump still believes Iran wants to make a deal and expects Tehran to submit an updated proposal in the coming days, according to reported remarks he made in a phone call with Channel 12.
According to the news outlet, he declines to specify a deadline for negotiations, but threatens harsher military action if Iran fails to meet US demands over its nuclear program.
“We want to make a deal. They are not where we want them to be. They will have to get there or they will be hit badly, and they don’t want that,” Trump says, according to Channel 12 and Axios.
Trump also says his phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today was positive and focused largely on the war with Iran, according to Channel 12.
The Times of Israel Community.