'Do it before it's too late': Trump asks Iran to make nuclear deal or face 'more brutal' attacks

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that it must reach a nuclear deal with Washington soon or face “even more brutal” attacks by Israel, as he backed his ally to defend itself against Tehran’s retaliation.

“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left… JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he added.

But Trump also kept the door open for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program, as the president who boasted he had “no wars” in his first term tries to avoid getting dragged into one in his second.

Meanwhile, Iran has launched a barrage of missile attacks against Israel in a second wave of retaliatory strikes, injuring several in Tel Aviv. Explosions were also heard in the Iranian capital of Tehran after 78 died in Friday morning’s attacks.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke over the phone late on Friday. Earlier, the president had said that he was aware of Israel’s “preemptive” strikes against Iran beforehand.

The US president also attended a National Security Council meeting in the White House Situation Room as his team worked on the crisis. An aide posted a black and white picture of a grim-faced, purse-lipped Trump striding through the West Wing.

Trump goes back and forth

Trump said that he “gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal.”

But in a series of calls with US media later, he wavered between backing Israel’s “excellent” strikes and calling for a return to the negotiating table.

“I think it’s been excellent,” ABC News quoted him as saying about Israel’s offensive. “And there’s more to come. A lot more.”

Then shortly afterwards he stressed the possibility of a second chance, in an interview with NBC: “They missed the opportunity to make a deal. Now, they may have another opportunity. We’ll see.”

With inputs from agencies