US President Donald Trump is weighing the idea of asking Arab nations to share the financial burden of the war with Iran, the White House said Monday, even as Washington signalled that diplomatic engagement with Tehran remains on track.Speaking at a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the proposal was something Trump had been considering, though she stopped short of confirming any formal move.“I think it’s something the President would be quite interested in calling them to do,” Leavitt was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.“It’s an idea that I know that he has and something that I think you’ll hear more from him on.”Leavitt also suggested a gap between Iran’s public rhetoric and its private messaging, saying Tehran had shown some willingness to engage behind closed doors.“Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what’s being communicated to us privately,” Leavitt said.Earlier in the day, Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, saying its energy infrastructure, including oil facilities and desalination plants, could face widespread destruction if Tehran does not move quickly toward a deal. The warning followed Iran’s rejection of US peace proposals as “unrealistic” and renewed missile attacks on Israel.Amid the tensions, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Saudi Arabia to remove US forces from its territory, framing the appeal in conciliatory terms.“Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation,” Araghchi said on X. “Our operations are aimed at enemy aggressors who have no respect for Arabs or Iranians, nor can provide any security… High time to eject U.S. forces.”Meanwhile, Trump said the US is in contact with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, according to an interview published Monday in the New York Post. Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, has denied any direct talks with Washington, describing reported Pakistan-facilitated discussions as a cover for US troop movements.On the ground, the conflict continues to widen. Israel has launched an incursion into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing back Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, who have been firing rockets and drones across the border. Israeli officials have indicated the operation could stretch into a prolonged presence.In southern Lebanon, three UN peacekeepers were killed within 24 hours, though it remains unclear which side was responsible.
