JERUSALEM, Israel – New developments in the war with Iran, as President Donald Trump postponed his threatened Iranian energy site attacks, saying negotiations are now underway to end the conflict.
However, Iran is pushing back, denying that any talks are even happening.
The emergence of a diplomatic front, even as the war continues, adds a new layer of uncertainty.
President Trump declared on Monday, “We’ve had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement. I would say, almost all points of agreement.”
Reports indicate that those talks include no nuclear weapons for Iran and joint control of the Strait of Hormuz. Yet Iran publicly refuses to acknowledge that negotiations are taking place. Iran’s speaker of parliament posted on X, calling it “fake news.”
To that, Trump replied, “They’re gonna have to get better public relations people.”
The confusion may stem from indirect contacts with Iran, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post.
The president revealed, “(Envoys) Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner had them, and they went, I would say, perfectly. I would say if they carry through with that, it’ll end that problem, the conflict, and I think it’ll end it very, very substantially.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the diplomatic efforts, while making clear that military operations will continue.
“President Trump believes that there is a chance to achieve the war’s goals with a deal that will also protect our interests. At the same time, we continue to attack in Lebanon and Iran, and we will protect our interests under any circumstances,” Netanyahu remarked.
In the Persian Gulf, President Trump pushed back his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte named 22 countries, including NATO members, that are working to accomplish it.
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On the ground, little has changed, as Israel continues to pound Iran and Hezbollah, and emergency crews in Tel Aviv worked the scene of another Iranian missile strike on Tuesday morning.
In Jerusalem, excavators removed rubble caused by fragments from an Iranian missile that hit the Old City on Friday. The damage still has the world on edge.
The missile fragments hit near some of the holiest sites of three major faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the City of David, and the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Moshe Kempinski runs a Jewish biblical heritage shop in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter. He says resilience is key for Israelis living in the city’s unique, contested territory.
He told CBN News, “The reality is what you see here. There was a missile attack, and immediately, ‘Let’s rebuild. Let’s move on.’ The answer (to) terrorism is you don’t stop. With God’s help, you just keep going, and everything plays itself out.”
In Washington, President Trump promised to keep going with Iran’s invasion if talks fail.
He noted, “We’re doing a five-day period. We’ll see how that goes, and if it goes well, we’re gonna end up settling this. Otherwise, we just keep bombing our little hearts out.”
