Trump: "Today we will start negotiations with Iran - and we will see if it is real"

US President Donald Trump answered questions from reporters on Air Force One tonight (Monday) and said: "What we are doing now is talking to them as part of negotiations. It starts this afternoon and we will see if it is real. I would be happy to do it, to save the lives of many people."

The President also addressed the request of the Gulf states not to carry out the attack:

"I was asked by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Iran. We were supposed to go out, but when allies ask to cancel it, you have to say 'let's see'."

President Trump further noted that there is a deal in the immediate term regarding the Strait of Hormuz. When asked if there is a deadline for a deal, he replied: "We'll just see what happens, we are ready to go at any moment. Do I prefer a deal? I don't want to kill people."

In addition, Trump referred to his conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "I asked the Saudi Crown Prince, what do you prefer? He said he prefers a deal because you don't know what attacks will lead to; they could be flooded with refugees arriving in their country, and disasters, many bad things can happen."

Despite the cancellation of the attack, yesterday in Jerusalem it was estimated that there is a very high chance of escalation, and the IDF prepared mainly for defense against missile fire. Security officials estimate that threats between Washington and Tehran will continue in the coming weeks. A senior officer told Channel 13: "You must not take your eyes off the ball, which is the nuclear program and not the Strait of Hormuz."

In Israel, there are concerns that the Iranians have understood how much Trump wants to avoid renewed fighting and that the influence of Arab countries on the US president is greater than that of Israel. The Wall Street Journal reported that while the UAE urged Trump to take decisive action, Mohammed bin Salman urged him to promote dialogue. Qatar presented Tehran with a new proposal for opening the Strait of Hormuz, to which it "responded positively." An Iranian diplomat told the Wall Street Journal that "if the talks fail, the Revolutionary Guards will consider a preemptive strike."