Trump: Israel Won’t Drag Us Into War With Iran ‘But I’ll Lead The Pack’ If No Deal Made

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi is in Oman preparing for the next round of nuclear talks with the United States, which will mark the third direct engagement, after President Trump just made an unexpected overture. Trump in a newly published Time interview says he is open to meeting Iran’s supreme leader or president, as the two sides have made clear they are open to achieving peace on the question of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

“I think we’re going to make a deal with Iran,” Trump said to Time. The US president was then questioned over whether he is open to meeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Masoud Pezeshkian, to which he responded: “Sure”.

Officials involved in the Iran dialogue have presented that “very good progress” has been made. This comes after last month Trump warned that Tehran can choose inking a peace deal or possibly face American bombs. 

“Ultimately I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped,” Trump described in the interview. “We can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can.”

There have been recent reports and fears that Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking to drag the White House into waging preemptive attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.

But Trump has said he’s not worried that Israel would drag him into war. But that’s when he warned that, “I may go in very willingly if we can’t get a deal. If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack.”

Below is the key section of the Time interview transcript regarding Israel, Iran and US policy:

You reportedly stopped Israel from attacking Iran’s nuclear sites. 

Trump: That’s not right. 

It’s not right?

No, it’s not right. I didn’t stop them. But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can. It’s possible we’ll have to attack because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, but I didn’t say no. Ultimately I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.

Are you worried Netanyahu will drag you into a war? 

No. 

Let’s talk about some of the issues with universities—

By the way, he may go into a war. But we’re not getting dragged in. 

The U.S. will stay out of it if Israel goes into it? 

No, I didn’t say that. You asked if he’d drag me in, like I’d go in unwillingly. No, I may go in very willingly if we can’t get a deal. If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack. 

We detailed before that within the administration there is an emerging divide on Iran between the hawks and those that want a peaceful resolution. It seems Trump has been favoring the doves, also given the obvious negatives of the US getting bogged down in another Middle East quagmire.

On the eve of the 3rd round of US-Iran talks, Trump says negotiations have been “very successful,” with a “very positive decision” possible—one that “could save many lives.”

To Time: “We’ll make a deal with Iran. No one else could’ve done this.”

Meet Iran’s leader? “Absolutely” pic.twitter.com/nokJXeOlY0

— Sina Toossi (@SinaToossi) April 25, 2025

A fresh nuclear deal might also east the pressure facing US naval forces in the Red Sea, amid the ongoing anti-Houthi campaign, given the Houthis have long been considered Tehran’s proxies. Better US-Iran relations could serve to silence the missiles and drones over the Red Sea.