U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in meeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. In an interview on the New York Post’s ‘Pod Force One’ podcast on Wednesday, Trump said he has not yet had the opportunity to meet Khamenei but would like to do so if given the chance. He added that such a meeting might take place in the future. When asked about Khamenei’s current condition, Trump said he was unsure when the meeting might happen but believed that Mojtaba is highly respected in Iran.
The report recalled that on February 28, Israel and U.S. forces launched a surprise attack in Iran, killing then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several family members. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, survived the attack. On March 8, Tehran announced Mojtaba as the new Supreme Leader. Since then, his messages have been broadcast through state television, but no photos, videos, or audio recordings of him have been released.
The remarks come amid ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions in which Trump suggested Mojtaba Khamenei is involved.