Iran holds the line as Trump touts ‘friendly talks’

As the conflict enters another volatile phase, Iran has projected resilience in the face of mounting military and diplomatic pressure, insisting that Washington — not Tehran — is searching for a way out of the five-month war.

Iranian officials maintain that while indirect channels of communication remain open, the United States is struggling to secure an exit that preserves its strategic interests, even as Tehran refuses to negotiate from what it views as a position of coercion.

US President Donald Trump, however, struck an optimistic note, describing contacts with Tehran as "very friendly talks" while making it clear that his administration has little patience for drawn-out diplomacy.

He warned that if negotiations fail to deliver results, Washington remains prepared to return to force, underscoring the fragile balance between dialogue and renewed confrontation.

Against this tense backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump, where the war on Iran is expected to dominate discussions. The meeting comes amid lingering differences over how the conflict should end, with Israel pushing for sustained pressure on Tehran while the White House continues to weigh diplomacy alongside military options.

The regional fallout continues to widen. Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned a drone attack launched by Iran-backed groups in Iraq that targeted Riyadh and key oil installations in the kingdom's Eastern Province, highlighting the growing risk of the conflict spilling across the Gulf.

Meanwhile, scrutiny of Israel's military conduct has intensified after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told the Al Jazeera that his office has documented violations of international law by Israeli forces in Lebanon, some of which could amount to war crimes.

With agency inputs