‘Before There Is Nothing Left’: Trump Warns of Devastation in Iran if Nuclear Deal Not Reached as World Leaders Caution Against Escalation

Latest Developments

• Trump Calls for Deal: President Donald Trump urged Iran to reach a deal with the United States “before there is nothing left,” as Israel continued with its devastating strikes on the Islamic Republic on June 13. Trump stated that Iran had ignored his warnings to reach a deal within 60 days, adding that the hardliners who opposed a deal “are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” Additionally, Trump said he had received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 12 and that the White House had known in advance of “what’s going on.” Despite Trump’s appeals, Iran withdrew from the sixth round of nuclear deal negotiations with the United States that were scheduled for June 15.
• European Leaders Call for Restraint: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron both called for restraint on both sides but recognized Iran’s nuclear program as the catalyst. Merz emphasized that Iran’s “nuclear program violates the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel.” British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pleaded for Iran and Israel to “step back and reduce tensions urgently.”
• Tepid Condemnation From Arab States: Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced “the blatant Israeli aggression against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran,” while the United Arab Emirates, one of Israel’s closest Arab allies, called for the UN Security Council to enforce a ceasefire. Qatar, which props up Iran’s anti-Israel terrorist proxy Hamas, stated that the strikes were “part of a pattern of illegal Israeli policies.” Meanwhile, China and Russia both complained of the violation of Iran’s sovereignty, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of “trying to drag our region and the entire world into disaster with its reckless, aggressive and lawless actions.”

FDD Expert Response

“One would not expect European leaders to respond to the Israeli strikes on Iran with the same level of sympathy shown by their counterparts in the United States. Even so, key states like France and Germany clearly understand that Israel has undertaken this operation to eliminate an existential threat. They must not waver in the coming days and weeks as they, unfortunately, have done on too many occasions since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

Many governments, especially Arab ones, are rooting for Israel in private while denouncing its attacks in public. Arab governments are certainly hoping that the Israeli operation will put an end to the seemingly intractable Iranian nuclear problem. Some Arabs are even hoping for more, perhaps a regime collapse, but like always, very few are saying it out loud.” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow

“Condemnations from Arab states were anticipated, as there are concerns that any potential Iranian retaliation could affect them or U.S. interests on their soil. Publicly supporting Israel’s attack against Iran can carry more risks that many of these states prefer to avoid despite Israel having attacked what many of these countries perceive as the biggest external threat in the region.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“At Least 20 High-Level Commanders, Nuclear Scientists Killed in Israeli Strikes on Iran,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘Rising Lion’: Israel Targets Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program, Prepares for Retaliation,” FDD Flash Brief

“IAEA Declares Iran in Breach of Nuclear Nonproliferation Obligations,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘Not Acceptable to Us’: Iran Rejects U.S. Nuclear Proposal; IAEA Prepares to Censure the Regime,” FDD Flash Brief