Israel Airstrikes Kill Senior Iranian Officials Amid Nuclear Deal Talks

President Donald Trump confirmed that Israel's recent airstrikes killed the Iranian officials with whom he had been negotiating a possible nuclear deal, referring to them as "the hardliners" and responding sarcastically that they "didn't die of the flu" or COVID. Despite the loss of these officials, Trump expressed continued support for Israel and urged Iran to return to the negotiating table before it is "too late," emphasizing the importance of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump described the Israeli strikes as "very successful" and suggested that the attacks might improve the chances of reaching a nuclear deal, noting that Iran was not prepared to negotiate before but might be now. His comments came amid initial U.S. statements, including from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, clarifying that the United States was not directly involved in the attacks. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the strikes targeted senior operatives in Iran's military leadership, including Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri. Trump's statements underscore his administration's dual approach of backing Israel's military actions while maintaining a diplomatic push to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.