President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran’s newly installed leadership is suddenly eager to negotiate, just one day after a joint U.S.–Israeli military operation eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” Trump told The Atlantic during a phone call from Mar-a-Lago. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.” Translation: negotiations are much easier when your leadership isn’t playing games.
Trump blamed Tehran for dragging out weeks of diplomatic talks and confirmed that several Iranian officials involved in those discussions were killed in the strikes. “Most of those people are gone,” he said. “They played too cute.” He did not give a timeline for when talks would begin.
According to Reuters, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a three-member council has temporarily assumed the supreme leader’s duties. The council includes Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, and a representative from the Guardians Council.
A senior White House official also told Associated Press that Iran’s “new potential leadership” has signaled openness to talks with Washington, though the military campaign is continuing without pause.
Trump expressed confidence that Iranians themselves will bring down the Islamic regime, pointing to public celebrations inside Iran and among expatriates in Los Angeles and New York. In a video message posted Saturday, he addressed the Iranian people directly: “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.”
The president told CNBC that the operation is “ahead of schedule” and “moving along very well,” a rare phrase in modern politics that actually seems to mean what it says.
U.S. Central Command reported Sunday that three American service members were killed and five seriously wounded in the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury.
Trump described the military action as long overdue. “People have wanted to do it for 47 years,” he said. And now, with Iran suddenly eager to negotiate, it looks like strength — not stalling — is finally forcing the conversation in the right direction.
