Trump hopes Iran-Israel Deal will end Conflict

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he hopes Israel and Iran can broker a deal but said sometimes countries have to fight it out first.

"I hope there’s going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal and we’ll see what happens. Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re gonna see what happens," Trump said.

In a social media post, Trump said there were many unspecified meetings about the issue happening and encouraged the two countries to make a deal. And in an interview with ABC News, he said he was open to Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine and who has resisted Trump's attempts to broker a ceasefire with Kyiv, serving as a mediator.

Asked if there was a deadline to bring Iran to the negotiating table, he said, "No, there is no deadline. But they are talking. They want to make a deal. They are talking and they continue to talk." Asked about the cancellation of talks between Washington and Tehran, Trump said, "It [the ceasefire talks] will actually help to make a deal faster."

Regarding Putin's role as a mediator in the conflict, Trump said, "Yes, I am interested in it. He is ready. He called me on it. We talked about it for a long time. We talked about it more than his own situation (the Ukraine war). I believe this will be resolved."

Trump told ABC News that Iran wanted to make a deal and indicated something like the Israel strikes would accelerate that. "Something like this had to happen because I think even from both sides, but something like this had to happen. They want to talk, and they will be talking," Trump said, according to ABC reporter Rachel Scott. "May have forced a deal to go quicker, actually."

Trump, who portrays himself as a peacemaker and has drawn criticism from his political base for not being able to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict, cited other disputes that he took responsibility for solving, including between India and Pakistan, and lamented not receiving more praise for doing so.

"I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!" he wrote on Truth Social.