Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

US President Donald Trump signaled he would give diplomacy a chance before deciding whether to strike Iran, dialing back on recent comments that suggested military action could be imminent.

“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump said in a dictated message, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

Iran maintained Friday it won’t negotiate with the US while an Israeli assault continues. The only way to end the imposed war is to “unconditionally stop” the enemy’s aggression, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday in a post on X. 

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with:

• Bloomberg US National Security Team Lead Nick Wadhams.
• Former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer.
• Bloomberg Politics Contributor Rick Davis and Third Way Executive Vice President for Public Affairs Matt Bennett.
• Former Republican Congressman and Bloomberg Contributor Patrick McHenry.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.