President Donald Trump acknowledged Sunday that the United States may not remain on the sidelines if hostilities between Israel and Iran continue to intensify. During an interview with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Trump confirmed there is no active U.S. military involvement at present, but left open the possibility of future engagement.
“We’re not involved in it,” Trump said. “It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved.” His remarks signal a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy should the current Middle East conflict spiral into a broader regional war.
The discussion also touched on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tensions. Trump noted that Iranian leaders remain in dialogue and are interested in negotiating a deal. “No, there’s no deadline,” he said when asked about a timeline for Iran to come to the negotiating table. “They want to talk, and they will be talking… May have forced a deal to go quicker, actually.”
A surprising potential player in future negotiations emerged during the interview—Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump revealed that Putin had personally called him to propose serving as a mediator between Israel and Iran, an idea Trump did not dismiss. “I would be open to it,” he said. “He is ready. He called me about it. We had a long talk about it.”
According to Trump, that call, which also included birthday wishes from Putin, focused more on Middle East stability than on Russia’s own international disputes. “We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved,” Trump said, expressing optimism despite the rising tensions.
The conversation marks a rare instance of direct acknowledgment that global powers outside the traditional Western alliance may play a future role in brokering peace in the region. Whether Putin would be a viable or acceptable mediator remains to be seen, particularly given current geopolitical divides.
Trump’s posture on this issue reflects his broader foreign policy stance—one that emphasizes negotiation backed by strength, openness to unconventional partnerships, and a willingness to act if American interests are threatened. His tone suggested that while the U.S. is not eager to enter another conflict, it will not tolerate unchecked chaos in a region central to global energy markets and long-standing strategic alliances.
While many Americans are wary of further military entanglements abroad, ignoring growing volatility in the Middle East could invite greater instability in the long term. The potential for Iran to escalate aggression or destabilize Israel is not just a regional concern—it’s a direct challenge to U.S. security partnerships and global credibility.
