USAupdated 1h ago2 min read
Trump Mocks Iran’s Leadership, Says He Went Too Far in Killing Iranian Leaders
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Trump said the U.S. may have gone too far killing Iranian leaders. He cited difficulty identifying Iran interlocutors for potential peace talks.
The Jerusalem Post was read line by line by the Watchdog: 4.2. See the score →
Trump questions Iran leadership
Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Arizona that “Who would like to be the president of Iran? Please raise your hand,” before adding, “I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry because I don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with,” as he mocked Iran’s leadership.
Trump also said at the same Arizona event that “Informants should be shot, in my view,” and he linked the remark to what he described as being common “in the old days.”
Trump’s comments came as the U.S. armed forces, in June 2025, bombed Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities in Natans and Fordo and an atomic facility in Isfahan as part of “Operation Midnight Hammer,” according to DIE WELT.
Trump’s remarks followed his claim that the Islamic Republic must not have atomic bombs, while Tehran maintained its nuclear program serves only civilian purposes and not the development of nuclear weapons.
Open Magazine reported that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth faced repeated interruptions from anti-war protesters during a panel at the Association of the US Army’s annual meeting in Washington.
Hegseth and protests
Pete Hegseth told an Association of the US Army panel that the United States would do “what is necessary” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, even as protesters interrupted the discussion at least five times in its first half-hour. Hegseth responded to one interruption by saying “She thinks highly of me,” and he later remarked: “Appears we have a bit of a tactic.” The Association of the US Army said the protest was a fundamental right but argued that the interruptions breached the code of conduct accepted by attendees.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told an interview shared through his official Telegram channel that “Instead of the cycle of war, negotiation, and peace, we create a new equation: war, negotiation, and deterrence.” Trump, speaking at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, said “We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.”
Talks, readiness, and risk
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Donald Trump to renew the fighting against Iran before Israel’s October 27 election and the US midterm elections a week later, while Netanyahu’s office denied the TV report.
US officials told Channel 12 News they came away with the impression that Netanyahu wanted to launch an attack before the elections, and an American source said Netanyahu “has discussed the issue” of a resumption of attacks “several times.”
The Israel Defense Forces and CENTCOM remained at a high state of readiness and were completing preparations in case Trump changes his mind.
Trump fueled rumors that he would, just after the elections on November 3, strike Iran again with heavy attacks, after Trump said “So I'm probably a little too far. I’m sorry, because I no longer know who the hell we are dealing with. But this will end very soon.”
Trump maintained a hard line on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and reiterated that Iran would never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon.