Trump says he agreed to talks with Iran’s new leadership

2026-03-01 - 20:43

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Sunday he has agreed to hold talks with Iran’s new leadership even as US-Israeli military operations against the country continue.“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk,” Trump told The Atlantic, adding that Iran should have made concessions earlier. “They waited too long,” he said.Trump said he could not specify when such discussions might take place, noting that some Iranian officials involved in previous negotiations are no longer alive.In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump said 48 Iranian leaders had been eliminated “in one shot,” describing the operation as highly successful.He added that US officials knew how many targets remained and that operations were moving “rapidly.”Speaking to CNBC, Trump said military operations were “ahead of schedule.”Addressing concerns about oil prices and potential disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, Trump dismissed fears of major impact.“I’m not concerned about anything,” he said. “I just do what’s right. At the end, it works out.”The comments came as the joint US-Israeli campaign entered its second day.The operation, launched Saturday, has killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Tehran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries. US Central Command said three American service members have been killed and five seriously wounded since operations began.