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.

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

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