Israel-Iran conflict live: Trump denies he left G7 early to work on ceasefire after Macron suggests US ‘offer’ was made

<p>US president says he is working on something ‘much bigger’ than a ceasefire after French president says ‘an offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/iran-threatens-to-leave-nuclear-weapons-treaty-as-israeli-bombing-enters-fourth-day"><strong>Israel issues Tehran evacuation order as Iran threatens to leave nuclear weapons treaty</strong></a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Donald Trump</strong> has encouraged vice president <strong>JD Vance</strong> and his Middle East envoy, <strong>Steve Witkoff</strong>, to offer to meet the Iranians this week, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/us/politics/trump-iran-diplomacy-conflict.html">has reported</a>, citing a US official.</p><p>Iranian foreign minister <strong>Abbas Araghchi</strong> had earlier indicated that Tehran was open to negotiations, also suggesting Trump could stop the war with “one phone call” to Israeli leader <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu</strong>. In a post on X he wrote:</p><p>If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.</p><p>It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.</p><p>There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions … We have to see now whether the sides will follow.</p><p>Right now I believe negotiations need to restart and that civilians need to be protected.</p><p>All who have thought that by bombing from the outside you can save a country in spite of itself have always been mistaken.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/jun/17/israel-iran-conflict-live-updates-tehran-trump-evacuation-middle-east">Continue reading...</a>