ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US President Donald Trump on Friday released a statement regarding Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iran, urging Tehran to reach a nuclear accord ahead of “even more brutal” attacks.

Israel announced on early Friday that it was carrying out strikes against targets across Iran, with the attacks hitting myriad military facilities and nuclear sites across the country, killing at least six nuclear scientists and numerous high-ranking Iranian military figures.

In a post on his Truth Social media platform, Trump wrote, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.”

“Certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic] spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” Trump continued, lauding the efficacy of US military equipment he said Israel availed of during its offensive.

The US president encouraged Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington, writing, “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”

Trump’s comments come as Iran released a statement saying that at least 95 people had been wounded across 12 Iranian provinces in the sweeping Israeli offensive, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Hossein Salami, the Chief of Staff of the Iran’s military Mohammad Bagheri, and IRGC Air Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh being among those killed.

Washington appeared keen to distance itself from the attack on Friday morning, portraying it as a unilateral Israeli action that should not invite retaliation against US targets in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement said, “We are not involved in strikes against Iran” and that “Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

Earlier in the week, the US State Department reduced personnel in its facilities across the Middle East, citing regional security threats.

The large-scale bombardment came just days ahead of a sixth round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran that were pegged for Sunday, with Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian Parliament, saying that the upcoming negotiations have been canceled and that he does not think that “any other round of talks will take place” in light of the attack.