President Donald Trump stated this morning that representatives of Iran’s modern leadership have expressed a willingness to negotiate following the U.S.-Israeli strikes that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The president, speaking by phone from Mar-a-Lago, indicated he intends to engage in talks, stating, “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner.”
When pressed on the timing of these conversations, Trump remained ambiguous, saying, “I can’t tell you that.” He acknowledged that some individuals previously involved in negotiations are no longer available. “Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big—that was a big hit,” he said, adding, “They should have done it sooner, Michael. They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute.”
The strikes, a joint operation between the U.S. And Israel, commenced yesterday, prompting Trump to call for regime change in Iran via a social media video. He urged the Iranian people to “seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.”
Asked whether the U.S. Would sustain its bombing campaign to support a potential uprising, Trump offered no firm commitment. “I have to appear at the situation at the time it happens, Michael. You can’t give an answer to that question,” he stated. Though, he expressed optimism about the possibility of a successful uprising, citing reports of celebrations in Iranian cities and gatherings of expatriate Iranians in New York and Los Angeles. He noted, “That is going to happen. You are seeing that, and I think it’s gonna happen. A lot of people are extremely happy over there and in Los Angeles and in many other places.” Reports indicate that alongside pro-regime change demonstrations, significant anti-war protests have similarly occurred.
Trump expressed satisfaction with the initial reaction from the Iranian populace, acknowledging the inherent dangers. “Knowing it’s very dangerous, knowing I’ve told everybody to stay in place—I think it’s a very dangerous place right now,” he said. “The people over We find shouting in the streets with happiness, but at the same time, there are a lot of bombs coming down.”
The operation follows years of U.S. Intelligence efforts to disrupt Iranian assassination plots targeting U.S. Officials, including Trump himself. When questioned about potential renewed threats to the U.S. Homeland, Trump declined to comment.
The U.S. Military has confirmed the deaths of three American service members and serious injuries to five others during the operation, marking the first reported American casualties of the campaign.
Despite the ongoing military action, Trump anticipates no disruption to Republican efforts to highlight economic achievements ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. “We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” he asserted. “The word isn’t out because people like you don’t write about it properly. But the economy is ready to proceed through the roof. And it already is in many cases.”
Trump suggested the impact on oil markets, which are scheduled to reopen tonight, would be less severe than anticipated due to the operation’s early success. “This could have been a huge price increase with respect to oil, if things went wrong,” he said. He concluded by referencing the long-standing desire for such action, stating, “People have wanted to do it for 47 years. They’ve killed people for 47 years, and now it’s reversed on them.”
