Trump says he'd 'love not to' attack Iran, 'but sometimes you have to'

President Donald Trump on Friday said that "I'd love not to use" the U.S. military to attack Iran, "but sometimes you have to."But Trump also said, "We haven't made a final decision" on whether to attack Iran."We'll see what happens," he said. "We're talking later today. We'll have some additional talks today."Trump's comment to reporters outside the White House came after he expressed frustration at Iran's refusal to comply with American demands to curb its nuclear program."We're not thrilled with the way they're negotiating," Trump said. "They cannot have nuclear weapons.""I'm not happy that they're not willing to give us what we have to have," Trump said, referring to that condition.Asked by a reporter if there could be a long, drawn-out conflict in the Middle East if the United States attacks Iran, Trump said, "I guess you could say there's always a risk.""It'd be wonderful if they negotiate, really, in good conscience, good faith," he said. "They are not getting there so far."The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem earlier Friday authorized non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their family members to leave Israel "due to safety risks."Also Friday, the massive American aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, arrived off Israel's coast.Earlier Friday, MS Now reported that Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi planned to meet in Washington, D.C., with Vice President JD Vance and other American officials "in an effort to stave off war with Iran." Al-Busaidi has been mediating negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, but talks on Thursday ended without a deal.Also on Friday, the State Department said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to discuss Iran and other regional issues.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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