Trump Says Iran’s New Leaders Now “Want To Talk” After Deadly Strikes

According to Ireporter Online, United States President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday that Iran had reached out to initiate dialogue with Washington following Saturday’s airstrikes, which reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials.

Trump made the comments during a telephone interview with The Atlantic, stating that Tehran was now willing to negotiate, although he characterized the move as overdue. He added that the Iranian government’s request for discussions came after what he described as a significant military strike.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” Trump said.

When questioned about the timing of the proposed talks, Trump did not provide specifics, noting that many of the officials previously engaged with the U.S. were among those killed in the strike. “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. They should have done it sooner. They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian would lead a temporary council to oversee the country’s transitional phase following Khamenei’s reported death. State outlets also indicated that approximately 40 senior officials were killed in the coordinated airstrikes carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces.

The operation, conducted jointly by the United States and Israel, marked a sharp escalation in regional tensions. During a live broadcast on Saturday, Trump stated that the strike aimed to eliminate key figures within the Iranian regime and urged Iranian citizens to take control of their government in the aftermath of the attack.