Trump eyes Arab funding for Iran war as talks continue

US President Donald Trump is considering calling on Arab nations to help cover the cost of the war with Iran, according to the White House, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is open to the idea of seeking financial support from Arab countries, though no formal request has been made yet.

"I think it's something the President would be quite interested in calling them to do," Leavitt said. "It's an idea that I know that he has and something that I think you'll hear more from him on."

Leavitt also indicated that ongoing talks with Tehran are progressing, despite public tensions. She suggested that Iran’s private communications differ from its public statements.

"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," she said.

Earlier, Trump warned that Iran’s energy infrastructure could be targeted if it refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US terms for ending the war. Tehran has rejected those proposals as unrealistic while continuing missile strikes against Israel.

Trump has also claimed that the conflict has already resulted in a form of regime change in Iran.

"We've had regime change, if you look, already, because the one regime was decimated, destroyed, they're all dead. The next regime is mostly dead. And the third regime, we're dealing with different people than anybody's dealt with before. It's a whole different group of people," Trump said.

"So I would consider that regime change, and frankly, they've been very reasonable."

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged caution, noting that it remains uncertain whether Iran’s leadership has fundamentally changed.

Leavitt emphasized that any commitments made by Iran in private negotiations would be closely monitored.

"If they are not, the President has laid out the military consequences that the Iranian regime will see if they don't hold true to the words that we are hearing privately behind the scenes," she said.