Trump says it’s ‘really late’ for Iran to begin talks after ‘getting the hell beaten out of them’

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that Iranian officials are pleading for a White House peace summit now that they’re “getting the hell beaten out of them” — but that he told them it’s “very late” and that there’s a “big difference between now and a week ago.”

Trump, who has publicly vacillated between brokering a deal with Tehran and joining Israel’s airstrikes against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, said “it’s very late” for talks after six days of conflict with Israel.

“I said, it’s really late. You know? I said it’s very late to be talking. … There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” the president told reporters as he erected a new flagpole on the White House lawn.

“Nothing’s too late. The only thing too late is [Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome] Powell,” Trump added in a jab at Powell’s reluctance to lower interest rates.

Trump said Iranian emissaries “even suggested they come to the White House” and Russian President Vladimir Putin had also offered to intercede.

“I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later,’” Trump said.

“That’s, you know, courageous but it’s not easy for them to do,” he added.

“They’re totally defenseless. They have no air defense whatsoever.”

Trump praised the Iranian people and mentioned knowing many in New York.

“They can be difficult, but so can you … they’re smart people, and those people are getting the hell beaten out of them,” he said.