President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. ceasefire in Iran is “unbelievably weak” and on “massive life support” after rejecting the regime’s latest proposal to end the war. 

Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Monday during an event on expanding maternal healthcare access. Asked about the status of the ongoing ceasefire, Trump described it as being at its “weakest” point and criticized the last offer sent by the Iranians in ongoing peace talks as “a piece of garbage.”

“It is unbelievably weak, I would say. I would call it the weakest right now,” Trump said of the ceasefire. “After reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I didn’t even finish reading it. I said, ‘I’m not gonna waste my time reading it.’ I would say it’s one of the weakest, right now. … I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctors walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living.’”

The comments come ahead of the president’s reported Monday afternoon meeting with his national security team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. 

The group is set to discuss next steps in Iran, according to Axios, including a potential return to military action and possibly resuming Project Freedom, the operation aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, after Trump suspended it last week.

Several Republican lawmakers have begun to urge the president to return to military operations, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS), who told Trump on X that he’s “been generously patient with the murderous Iranian Islamist regime” but it’s time to “get back to business” and “restart Project Freedom.” 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Sunday it’s “time to consider changing course” from the diplomatic route. “Project Freedom Plus sounds pretty good right now,” he added, referencing a plan by Trump to involve other countries in the mission to open the strait. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) said bluntly in response to a post from the White House, “Start bombing again. It is the only thing they understand.”

Trump also said on Monday that he was “disappointed” with Kurdish leaders in Iraq for not following through with supporting an armed offensive against the Iranian regime, accusing them of not providing arms to the Iranian people in an effort to spark a popular uprising.

The Iranian people, Trump said, “have no weapons, they have no guns. We thought the Kurds were going to give them weapons, but the Kurds disappointed us. The Kurds take, take, take, and they have a great reputation in Congress. Congress says: ‘Oh, they fight so hard.’ They fight hard when they get paid. So I’m very disappointed in the Kurds.”

“I said it wasn’t going to work,” he continued, referencing reported U.S. and Israeli efforts to convince Kurdish leaders to launch a ground invasion of Iran. “I said they’ll never get there and I was right. I like to be right, in this case [it’s] too bad, but we sent some guns with ammunition and they were supposed to be delivered, but they kept it. I said they’re gonna keep it, but what do I know?”

Kurdish leaders have denied U.S. claims that they held on to weapons that American forces provided to them to pass along to the Iranian people, or that they received any arms from the U.S. in the first place. 

Prominent Jewish figures and senior Trump administration officials gathered at the White House on Monday afternoon for an event hosted by President Donald Trump commemorating the Passover holiday.

Administration officials in attendance at the event, which was closed to the press and took place in the Indian Treaty Room, included Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf; James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs; Jacob Reses, chief of staff to Vice President JD Vance; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin; Martin Marks, the White House Jewish liaison; and Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

Marks delivered comments to the crowd remarking on the holiday and the Trump administration’s record of support for Israel, according to an attendee. 

Others spotted at the event were Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, president of the Tzedek Association; Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition; William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Jeff Miller, chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council; Jonathan Burkan, United States Holocaust Memorial Council member; Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad); Paul Packer, the former chairman of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, member of the Religious Liberty Commission and vice chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Jerry Wartski, a Holocaust survivor, and freed Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander were also in attendance. 

Prior to the official reception, Trump invited about 20 guests to join him in the Oval Office. During the brief gathering, the president called Jared Kushner, an informal advisor to the White House and his son-in-law, and his daughter Ivanka. Kushner, who is Jewish, and Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism, spoke to attendees over speakerphone, one guest told Jewish Insider. 

President Donald Trump indicated that his threats to Iran over its use of violence on protesters have had their desired effect, saying on Wednesday afternoon that “the killing in Iran is stopping.”

Speaking to reporters at a bill signing in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We have been notified and pretty strongly — but we’ll find out what that all means — but we were told that the killing in Iran is stopping, it’s stopped, and that there’s no plan for executions. … So I’ve been told that on good authority. We’ll find out about it, I’m sure, if it happens, we’ll all be very upset.”

“They’re not going to have an execution, which a lot of people were talking about for the last couple days. Today was going to be the day of execution,” the president said, referring to at least one protester who was due to be executed by the regime today, his family and human rights groups said. 

Trump later claimed that information was provided to him “by very important sources on the other side, that the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place. There was supposed to be a lot of executions today and that the executions won’t take place.”

“And we’re going to find out. I mean, I’ll find out after this, you’ll find out, but we’ve been told on good authority. And I hope it’s true. Who knows, right? Who knows,” he said.

Pressed about videos of body bags emerging out of Iran that indicate large-scale killings, Trump downplayed the issue, saying, “People were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back. It’s one of those things.”

Asked if this means military action against Iran is now “off the table,” Trump replied, “Well, we’re going to watch and see what the process is. But we were given a very good statement by people who are aware of what’s going on.”

The rhetoric marked a shift for the president, who a day prior had posted on social media a message to “Iranian patriots” who he told to “save the names of the killers and abusers” and that “help is on its way.” Reports indicate Iranian officials had made contact with the Trump administration seeking a diplomatic off-ramp to the escalating tension.

In a surprisingly chummy press conference, President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani spoke about their “productive” Oval Office meeting on Friday, yet mostly dodged questions on Israel and antisemitism.

“We had a great meeting. One thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well, and I wanted to congratulate the mayor. He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people,” said Trump. “We talked about getting housing built and food prices. The better he does, the happier I am.”

Mamdani said he “appreciated” the opportunity to meet with Trump and that he looks forward to working “together to deliver that affordability.”

Mamdani’s rise to mayor has drawn concern from pro-Israel and Jewish groups over his past rhetoric regarding Israel, including his inability to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which calls for violence against Jews. Mamdani has also threatened to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York 

On Thursday Mamdani distanced himself from protestors who gathered outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, however he suggested that the event, which provided information on immigrating to Israel, violated international law.

In response to a question directed at Mamdani regarding Thursday’s incident, Trump allowed the mayor-elect to evade the question, ultimately taking the conversation in a different direction. It was only at the conclusion of the press conference that Mamdani returned to the subject, reiterating similar comments he has made in the past, saying that he will “protect Jewish New Yorkers.” 

During the campaign, Trump said that any Jewish person who votes for Mamdani is a “self-professed Jew hater” and a “stupid person.” However, the president let much of his apparent differences with the mayor-elect on Israel slide. 

When asked whether he would stop Mamdani from arresting Netanyahu, Trump simply replied that the two “didn’t discuss” it, refraining from any confrontation on the issue. 

Mamdani said he “desperately” wants peace in the Middle East, however, he also noted that he wanted an end to taxpayer’ dollars “funding violations of human rights,” seeming at times to gesture toward Israel without calling out the Jewish state by name. 

“I’ve spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide, and I’ve spoken about our government funding it,” said Mamdani. “We have to follow through on international human rights, and still today those are being violated.”

Trump did not interject, instead remaining cordial with Mamdani and proceeding to call him “a rational person” that “wants to see New York be great again.”

In the run-up to the meeting, the president and Mamdani had traded barbs with each other. Mamdani has vowed to “Trump-proof” New York City, sharply criticizing the president’s immigration and economic policies. Meanwhile, Trump has called Mamdani “my little communist mayor” and has threatened to withhold federal funds. 

When asked about whether he will provide Mamdani with federal funding, Trump said he plans to “help him,” adding that he believes the mayor-elect “has a chance to do a great job.” 

“Some of his ideas, really, are the same ideas that I have,” said Trump. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job.”

In an Oval Office appearance following their meeting on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced progress on multiple bilateral initiatives, including a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and Riyadh’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets.  

Trump indicated Riyadh may receive a similar jet to Israel’s advanced F-35I Adir model: “When you look at the F-35 and you’re asking me ‘Is it the same [as Israel’s]?’ I think it’s going to be pretty similar,” said Trump. “This [Saudi Arabia] is a great ally, and Israel’s a great ally. I know they’d like you [MBS] to get planes of reduced caliber, but I don’t think that makes you too happy. … We’re looking at that exactly right now but as far as I’m concerned, [both countries are] at a level where they should get top of the line.”

The U.S. is obligated to uphold Israel’s qualitative military advantage in the region, which the sale of the F-35 stealth fighter jets could threaten. The U.S. has thus far only sold the F-35s to longstanding military allies.

In addition, U.S. national security hawks have raised worries that, given Saudi Arabia’s growing relationship with China, some of the sophisticated technology in the advanced military systems could fall into the hands of America’s leading geopolitical rival.

With Saudi Arabia now the only other country in the Middle East besides Israel to obtain the fighter jet, questions remain around which model and allowances Riyadh will receive. The F-35I is Israel’s unique model; other countries fly standard F-35A, B or C models. In addition, the U.S. has granted Jerusalem customization rights and operational freedoms with the F-35 that other countries do not have, including the ability to install its own software and gear, access to deeper source code and domestic maintenance and repair authorities, all of which contribute to its qualitative military edge. 

When asked why normalization with Israel is not a prerequisite to the deal, Trump said, “Israel will be happy. Israel’s aware and they’re going to be very happy,” but did not elaborate.

MBS said Riyadh is still interested in such normalization: “We believe having a good relationship with all the Middle Eastern countries is a good thing. We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two state solution.” 

“Today we had a healthy discussion that we are going to work on that to be sure that we can prepare as soon as possible to have that,” he continued.

Trump said he had not received a definitive “commitment” from MBS, but said that the crown prince has “a very good feeling toward the Abraham Accords.”

“Definitely, Mr. President,” MBS replied. “We want peace for the Israelis, we want peace for the Palestinians. We want them to coexist peacefully in the region. We will do our best to reach that day.”

Trump said the two countries “have reached an agreement” on a defense pact, without offering further details, and also noted that he expects the U.S. to reach a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, saying he can “see that happening,” but also stressing that “ it is not urgent.” He also confirmed the U.S. is working on approving export licenses for “certain levels of chips” to Saudi Arabia. 

“We may have announcements on that later today,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “But that’s what we’ve been working on, is the mechanics by which something like that can be achieved. And that’s part of this broader engagement and cooperation between our two countries.” 

MBS also confirmed that Saudi investment in the U.S. will be increased, following on Trump’s visit to Riyadh for a U.S.-Saudi investment forum in May when Saudi Arabia pledged to make a $600 billion investment in the U.S in sectors such as defense, energy and technology.

“Today and tomorrow we can announce that we are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion of investment, real investment and real opportunity,” said MBS. “The agreement that we are signing today in many areas in technology and AI and materials … that will create a lot of investment opportunities for our countries.”

Trump welcomed the announcement. “When you invest a trillion dollars, that’s national security for us too because it creates jobs, it creates a lot of things,” he told reporters. “When you hear one country is putting a trillion dollars into the United States that creates national security … that’s a real ally that will do that. It creates a lot of power for the United States.”

President Donald Trump pledged on Thursday that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, the first time Trump has addressed the matter in his second term. 

Asked about reports that he told Arab leaders this week he would not permit Israel to make the move, Trump confirmed to reporters in the Oval Office that he opposes annexation. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, nope, I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen,” he said, hours after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Asked if he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue, Trump said, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it. Whether I spoke to him or not — I did — but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough, it’s time to stop now.” 

Netanyahu will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, and he and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Monday, for their fourth White House meeting of the year. 

In his own General Assembly address earlier this week, Trump pledged his support for Israel and sharply criticized several European nations who had unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state. He did not mention annexation or include any criticism of Israel in his remarks.

Netanyahu has pledged to respond to those moves next week, with annexation of the West Bank viewed as one possible action he could pursue, under pressure from right-wing elements of his governing coalition.

President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he was likely to permit Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets as soon as “the end of the day,” ending a nearly eight year blockade on Ankara’s acquiring the top-of-the-line fighter jet as a result of its 2017 purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system.

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a meeting between the two and their respective teams, Trump said without mentioning the F-35’s or the less-advanced F-16 jets by name that he expected the Turkish leader would “be successful with buying the things” he would “like to buy.”

“He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day,” Trump said at the outset of his meeting with Erdogan. 

The White House declined to comment on what the president was referring to or if an announcement regarding resumed F-35 sales to Ankara was imminent. 

Erdogan has focused his visit to the White House, his first such trip in six years, around securing U.S. sanctions relief and approval for new arms deals, including the F-35 jets and other fighter and Boeing aircraft. Trump implemented the sanctions during his first term after Turkey purchased a Russian air defense system that U.S. officials warned could be used by the Russians to harness data on the F-35’s capabilities and compromise the aircraft.

The sanctions, pursued through the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, are still in place due to Turkey’s refusal to replace the Russian system. The Biden administration approved the sale of F-16 jets to Turkey in early 2023 on the condition of Ankara allowing Sweden to join NATO.

The prospect of Trump changing course on the sale has sparked bipartisan concern from some lawmakers. While some see such a sale as a way to incentivize better behavior from Ankara, others have warned that the embrace could have the opposite effect.

A bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday urging the Trump administration against approving a deal for F-16s or F-35s. 

It was signed by Reps. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dina Titus (D-NV), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Gabe Amo (D-RI). The American Jewish Committee, CUFI Action Fund and FDD Action were among the organizations that endorsed the letter.

“The security risks of Turkey’s acquisition and continued possession of the Russian S-400 system are well known. The S-400 poses a direct threat to U.S. military aircraft, including both the F-16 and F-35, by enabling Russian intelligence to gain insight into sensitive U.S. military technology if operated alongside these platforms,” the lawmakers wrote. 

“Congress has consistently upheld bipartisan restrictions on Turkey’s access to the F-35. Any move to reverse this policy without first securing the statutorily required certification would be a clear violation of U.S. law, undermine Congressional authority, and signal to others that U.S. law and strategic principles can be disregarded,” they added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted President Donald Trump in the White House Monday evening with effusive warmth, expressing the “appreciation and admiration” of Israel, the Jewish people and “the leadership of the free world” for the U.S.’ recent bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear facilities. 

He also offered Trump an avenue toward his elusive goal: receiving a Nobel Peace Prize.

“He is forging peace as we speak, in one country and one region after the other. So I want to present you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee,” Netanyahu announced, saying it would be a “well-deserved” honor for Trump. 

“Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” Trump said. “It’s a great honor.”

Similar exchanges of flattery are not an unusual occurrence in the Trump White House. But the warmth and back-slapping present a marked shift even from Netanyahu’s last visit to Washington in April — when he sought to head off U.S. tariffs and urge Trump not to make a nuclear deal with Iran — and a sign of how much has changed in the last three months. 

In April, Netanyahu avoided reporters’ questions about Iran. This time, he and Trump took a victory lap together after a 12-day war in which Israel, with key support from the U.S., exacted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear program. 

“It was an amazing job,” Trump said of the American bombers’ attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran. “This stopped a lot of fighting. When that happened, it was a whole different ballgame.” 

Asked whether he would support additional strikes on Iran, Trump said that he “can’t imagine wanting to do that,” saying that he thinks Iran wants peace.

“They want to meet. They want to work something out. They’re very different now than they were two weeks ago,” Trump said. He ceded the floor to Netanyahu when a reporter asked if the war between Israel and Iran was over. 

“I think the partnership between Israel and the United States, the partnership between President Trump and me, produced a historic victory. It’s an incredible victory,” Netanyahu said. He likened Iran to a tumor, noting that doctors must still check in on cancer patients after a tumor has been removed.

“You have to constantly monitor the situation to make sure that there’s no attempt to bring it back,” Netanyahu said. “This has already changed the face of the Middle East, but it’s not over.”

Taking cues from Trump, Netanyahu offered tentative hope for a new relationship with Syria. Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, have been cautious when considering how to deal with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new president of Syria. Trump, meanwhile, has expressed optimism about al-Sharaa and moved to remove sanctions on Syria. The Trump administration on Monday removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group previously led by al-Sharaa, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. 

But on Monday, Netanyahu said there is an “opportunity to explore” with the new government in Israel’s northern neighbor — and gave Trump some credit for it. 

“I think this presents opportunities for stability, for security and eventually for peace,” said Netanyahu. “I think that opportunity has been opened by the president and by the changed security situation, which we brought about with the collapse of the Assad regime.” 

Trump and Netanyahu did not share much publicly about the recent reports suggesting a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is under consideration. 

When asked if he thinks there can be a two-state solution, Trump again handed the mic to Netanyahu.

“You have the greatest man in the world to answer that age-old question,” said Trump. Netanyahu said no.

“We’ll work out a peace with our Palestinian neighbors, those who don’t want to destroy us, and we’ll work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands,” said Netanyahu. “People will say, ‘It’s not a complete state, it’s not a state, it’s not that’ — we don’t care. We vow never again.”