Trump was ready to meet Pezeshkian but Khamenei couldn’t be reached – Axios

President Donald Trump was prepared to personally meet his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Istanbul this week in a secret US-Turkey effort to de-escalate the Iran conflict, Axios reported Saturday.

“But the effort collapsed when Iran's supreme leader — in hiding due to fears of assassination — couldn't be reached to approve it," Axios reported citing three US officials and a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

US officials said Trump hoped to secure a nuclear deal and avoid military action, but after the effort failed, the White House grew more inclined to consider direct intervention to stop Iran’s nuclear program.