US President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his claim that the United States is engaged in discussions with Iran to bring an end to the conflict that has been ongoing for nearly a month, despite Tehran firmly denying that any negotiations are taking place. Speaking at a Republican fundraiser, Trump went a step further by claiming that Iranian leaders had informally suggested that he become the country’s next Supreme Leader, an idea he said he immediately rejected.
Addressing supporters at the annual NRCC dinner, Trump remarked that there had never been a national leader less interested in heading Iran. Referring to the alleged proposal in a sarcastic manner, he said he had no desire to take on such a role. His comments came amid reports of uncertainty within Iran’s leadership following the deaths of several senior figures in recent attacks. After the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was elevated to the position of Supreme Leader. However, he has reportedly not appeared in public since the conflict began, and reports have suggested he may have been injured during the attacks.
Trump described the military campaign against Iran as highly successful and again portrayed it as a decisive American victory. He maintained that indirect discussions with Tehran were progressing and claimed that Iranian leaders were eager to reach a deal but were reluctant to say so publicly because of fears of backlash from their own population. He also suggested that Iranian officials feared the consequences of refusing to engage with the United States.
As the conflict continued to affect regional stability and global energy markets, reports emerged that Washington had sent a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Tehran through intermediaries, including Pakistan. According to those reports, the proposal called for dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, ending support for allied armed groups such as Hezbollah, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has publicly rejected both the proposal and the suggestion that negotiations are underway. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, dismissed Trump’s claims during a state television appearance, questioning whether the US president was effectively negotiating with himself. He reiterated Iran’s longstanding position that no agreement would be reached under such circumstances and insisted that talks with Washington were not taking place.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, Tehran has instead presented its own five-point counterproposal, signalling that any resolution to the conflict would be based on conditions set by Iran rather than those outlined by the United States.
