Donald Trump would like a meeting with the new supreme leader of Iran. Historical yield or timing strategy?
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is directly involved in the negotiation process with the US to end the conflict. Moreover, the leader of the White House expressed his desire to have a direct meeting with him, according to The Guardian.
US President, Donald Trump/PHOTO: Profimedia
The mystery surrounding the new leader in Tehran
However, the situation surrounding the successor in Tehran remains complicated. Mojtaba Khamenei has not made any public appearances since the outbreak of American-Israeli hostilities against Iran, his messages to the nation being transmitted exclusively through written communiqués read by state television presenters.
US officials have speculated heavily about his health, suggesting he may have been seriously injured in the same devastating attack that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on the very first day of the war.
“He's involved (in negotiations). Definitely. Yeah, I think he's very well respected there.”Trump said in an interview with the New York Post.
Asked about the Iranian leader's physical condition, Trump admitted there was a possibility he was injured: “I don't know, I haven't had a chance to meet with him. Yes, I'd like a meeting. I'd like to meet everybody… We'll probably see each other at some point, depending on how things go.”
Historical yield or timing strategy?
The main stake in the talks undoubtedly remains Tehran's nuclear program, the main roadblock to any regional peace deal. But Trump claims that a principled consensus has already been reached in this regard.
“We can't allow them to have nuclear weapons, and they've already accepted that,” the American president emphasized.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed in congressional hearings that Iran has agreed to negotiate on aspects of its nuclear program that just a month ago it flatly refused to discuss.
Exchanges of fire under the shadow of a fragile truce
Beyond the diplomatic statements from Washington, the reality on the ground remains explosive. Despite the fragile truce, US and Iranian forces have launched reciprocal attacks. The Pentagon confirmed hitting targets on the Iranian island of Qeshm in response to Tehran's attacks, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the bombing of US military facilities.
Right now, the region is in a precarious balance: negotiations are stalling, but the costs of another major military escalation are far too high for both camps.
