Trump Says Iran Operation Is "Ahead of Schedule"...Signals Resumption of Talks With Iran’s New Leadership
- Input
- 2026-03-02 02:20:01
- Updated
- 2026-03-02 02:20:01
In a phone interview with the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) on the 1st (local time), Trump said, "The Iran operation is going very well. It is ahead of schedule." He added, "Iran is one of the most violent regimes in history," and continued, "We are doing our part not only for ourselves but for the world. Everything is ahead of schedule," he emphasized.
Earlier, on Saturday, Trump launched a joint US–Israel airstrike, during which Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei was killed. This is being seen as a major turning point for the Iranian system since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. In response, Iran carried out retaliatory attacks targeting Israeli assets and US assets in the Gulf region.
Trump also raised the possibility of an "off-ramp" that could bring the current confrontation to an end. He noted that whether the conflict will conclude "depends on many variables," but repeatedly stressed that "the situation is developing in a very positive direction."
In a separate interview with The Atlantic, he said, "They want to talk, and I agreed to talk. So we will talk." However, he pressed them by adding, "They should have done it earlier," and, "They are trying to accept an easy and practical proposal far too late."
Trump further revealed that some senior Iranian officials who had taken part in past negotiations with the United States were killed in the recent airstrikes. "Most of them are gone now," he said. "Some of the people we had been dealing with are also dead. That was a very big blow."
This suggests that the negotiation channels may be reshaped. With the previous line of negotiators effectively dismantled, any future talks are likely to unfold under a new power structure.
pride@fnnews.com Lee Byung-chul Reporter