US President Donald Trump has reportedly told Vice President JD Vance and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to reach out to Iranian officials for a meeting this week amid escalating fighting between Tehran and Jerusalem.
A US official told The New York Times that Trump is encouraging such a meeting and believes that it will be well received by Iran.
According to a report in Axios, such a meeting is likely between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also heading back to Washington and leaving the G7 Summit early, along with Trump, CBS News reports.
Trump and the White House said earlier that the US president was going to leave early due to the situation in the Middle East.
American officials have denied reports that the US is playing a role in strikes on Iran, and both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have said that they are still exploring diplomatic paths.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
