Trump Speaks to Netanyahu as US Weighs Iran Strikes; Tehran Welcomes Vance’s Letter

US President Donald Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday as Washington considered renewed military action against Iran, even as Tehran signalled interest in a US proposal to open direct talks.

The telephone conversation followed a White House meeting earlier in the week at which Trump consulted senior military leaders about options for resuming major combat operations, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said diplomatic contacts with Iran remained active and Trump had not decided whether to order further strikes.

“There are multiple talks; talks have actually never stopped. There's been active conversations going both in some cases directly, but often through intermediaries,” Rubio told reporters after the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Georgia.

He declined to set a deadline for diplomacy or say how close the two sides were to an agreement. Any settlement, he said, would have to address US national security concerns, including Iran’s nuclear programme and its support for armed groups across the Middle East.

“We can achieve military objectives if we seek to. He hasn't made a decision,” Rubio said.

Iran sees a change in Washington’s tone

Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said a letter from US Vice President JD Vance showed a marked change in Washington’s approach.

“Their tone has shifted completely, which is a good sign that shows that our people have secured their victory,” Rezaei told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, according to Al Jazeera.

The letter reached Tehran through Qatari mediators. The New York Times reported that the proposal envisaged direct talks led by Vance, with Iran’s nuclear programme included from the outset.

The Wall Street Journal described the communication as a framework for negotiations rather than a set of specific peace terms. It reported that Vance sent the letter at Trump’s direction.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Tehran had examined the proposal and considered Washington’s attempt to open dialogue a “positive step”. He said an aide had travelled to Doha for consultations with mediators.

Al Jazeera, citing sources, reported that a meeting could take place within a week, with Doha and Istanbul under consideration as venues. No meeting was confirmed in the reports.

Military warnings continue alongside diplomacy

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that any further US or Israeli attacks would draw a response that was “geographically unrestricted”.

“If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for their end,” he said.

Rubio, meanwhile, accused Iran of threatening commercial shipping and supporting Hezbollah, the Houthis and militias in Iraq. He said US naval forces were intercepting drones and anti-ship missiles almost every night.

He also warned that disruptions to maritime trade could affect global food security by interrupting supplies of fuel, agricultural inputs and food.

Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump said Iran wanted negotiations and suggested Washington was under no immediate pressure to conclude them.

“There are talks, they want to talk, they keep talking,” he said. “We have time, frankly.”

With inputs from ANI