WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump on Thursday signaled uncertainty about whether the US is willing to strike a deal with Iran, even as he claimed Tehran is eager to negotiate.

"They're not fools. They're very smart, actually, in a certain way. And they're great negotiators," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

Iran is "begging" to make a deal, he added.

"They're great negotiators, and they are begging to work out a deal. I don't know if we'll be able to do that. I don't know if we're willing to do that," Trump said.

Regional tensions have escalated since Feb. 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran that has killed more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.

Thirteen US service members have been killed and around 290 others have been injured since the operation began.