WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump denied reports he had reached out to Tehran seeking an end to the five-day Iran-Israel air war, after earlier suggesting he was working toward a broad Iran nuclear deal.

Israel pounded Iran for a fifth day in an air campaign against its longstanding foe’s military and nuclear program, as U.S.

President Trump’s contradictory comments left Israelis and Iranians trying to understand whether and how the U.S. would intervene.