A firefighter calls out his colleagues at the scene of an explosion in a residence compound in northern Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025.

US President Donald Trump proclaimed on Saturday afternoon that the new war in the Middle East, initiated by Israel against its longtime foe Iran, “should end.”

But as the Israeli offensive enters its third day, the conflict is expanding, with little sign that the US will use its leverage as Israel’s chief military and diplomatic backer to halt the assault on Iranian targets. This has spurred retaliation by Iran and increased fears that American military sites and crucial global trade routes will soon be hit.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants a deal with Iran to sharply limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from punishing economic sanctions led by the US. Some supporters of Israel’s assault claim it will make Iran more willing to compromise and eager to quickly reach an agreement. Instead, Saturday brought a confirmation from Oman — the Middle Eastern nation which hosts indirect negotiations between American and Israeli officials — that the planned upcoming round of talks has been cancelled. Experts in nuclear diplomacy said they saw dwindling chances of Tehran agreeing to a deal soon.

Meanwhile, fresh signs emerged of Israel’s determination to deal even greater damage to Iran while the Trump administration struggles to craft a response to the crisis. Israel twiceattacked Iran’s energy infrastructure, a core component of the country’s economy, indicated a willingness to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and pushed Washington to join a strike on Iran’s most sensitive nuclear site, which Israeli forces are not equipped to attack on their own.

“I do not think the Israelis will stop,” an Arab diplomat told HuffPost on Saturday condition of anonymity.

The diplomat noted that regional governments close to the US — including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and others — had condemned the Israeli campaign and said officials from some of those nations were exploring efforts to de-escalate tensions. Qatar and Oman, which have deep mediation experience, are attempting some outreach in coordination with the US, while Saudi officials are encouraging diplomacy through a different channel, the diplomat added.

Still, they argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had used the campaign against Iran, which began on Thursday with a dramatic wave of strikes on military leaders and nuclear targets, to score a number of wins already. France and Saudi Arabia have postponed a high-profile conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was planned for next........

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