US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran’s new leadership is prepared for dialogue, following recent US military strikes. In an interview with The Atlantic from his Florida home, Trump stated, “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk; therefore, I will be talking to them.” He added, “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner.”
These remarks surfaced amid heightened tensions following the US strikes on Iranian targets, which included naval assets. In a separate social media post, Trump boasted about destroying nine Iranian naval ships, some of which were described as significant.
“Great job by the Navy,” he wrote in his post. “We’ve sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some pretty important ones. We’re going after the rest — they will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!”
Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that a temporary leadership council comprised of himself, the judiciary chief, and a member of the powerful Guardians Council has taken over duties previously held by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
These developments hint at a possible diplomatic opening despite ongoing military tensions between Washington and Tehran. Trump also revealed that several Iranian officials involved in previous negotiations are believed to have been killed in recent attacks.
“Most of those people are gone,” Trump said. “Some of the people we were dealing with are no longer around, as this was indeed a significant blow.”
As Iran’s new leadership comes into play, observers look forward to seeing how Washington and Tehran will navigate future negotiations.