Washington, DC – US President Donald Trump said he has agreed to speak with Iranian leaders, indicating that the new leadership in Tehran has expressed a desire to communicate with him, in remarks he made to The Atlantic magazine.
Trump explained that the Iranians “want to talk, and I agreed to talk, so I will talk to them,” adding that they had waited too long to take
this step and could have reached an agreement earlier on “practical and easy-to-implement” terms.
Criticism of Tehran’s delay
The US president noted that some of the Iranian officials involved in the negotiations over the past few weeks “are no longer alive,”
adding that “most of those people are gone,” referring to the aftermath of the recent strikes.
He asserted that Tehran could have reached a deal earlier, but accused it of trying to “play games,”
arguing that the prolonged wait had complicated the situation.
A cautious stance regarding military escalation
Regarding his willingness to prolong the US bombing campaign if regime change in Tehran takes longer,
Trump said he would assess the situation as it develops,
adding, “You can’t give an answer to that question,” indicating that the decision depends on the realities on the ground.
He also described the situation inside Iran as “very dangerous,” despite mentioning celebrations in some areas,
and emphasized that bombs continue to fall as military operations escalate.
Predictions regarding the Iranian domestic situation and oil markets
Trump expressed confidence in a “successful uprising,” citing what he described as signs of support within Iran
and among Iranian communities in American cities like New York and Los Angeles.
Regarding energy markets, he stressed that the attacks’ impact on oil prices would be less disruptive than some analysts had predicted,
acknowledging that price increases were possible “if things had gone wrong,” but adding, “We’ll see what happens.”
