Yasin Gungo
10 March 2026•Update: 11 March 2026
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump said he doubts Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei can coexist peacefully with Washington, reiterating his dissatisfaction with Tehran's choice of leadership.
"I don't believe he can live in peace," Trump told Fox News in an interview that aired Tuesday, adding that he is "not happy" with Iran's selection. He has previously called the appointment "a big mistake" and warned the new leader would "not last long" without US approval.
On the prospect of US talks with Iran, Trump was noncommittal. "I'm hearing they want to talk badly," he said, but added it was only "possible" and contingent on acceptable terms, a notable contrast to his earlier statement that he had already "agreed to talk" with Iranian officials.
Trump also offered new justifications for launching the campaign, claiming the US had destroyed half of Iran's missile stockpile in its opening strikes on Feb. 28. "If we (had) waited three days, I believe we would have been attacked," he said, an assertion Iran has disputed, saying it does not seek nuclear weapons or missiles capable of reaching the US.
Trump said his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had informed him that Iran claimed to have enough enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs, adding that the disclosure effectively made military action unavoidable. "They're basically saying that I have to attack them."
Hostilities in the Middle East flared since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, to date reportedly killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei, named this week to the post, is his son.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets. Eight US service members have been killed since the beginning of the campaign.
