Trump Claims New Iranian Leadership More Open to Deal After US Military Pressure

Washington — US President Donald Trump has suggested that recent American military operations have triggered a significant political shift within Iran, resulting in the emergence of a new leadership group that is more willing to negotiate with Washington.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed that the military pressure exerted by the United States had altered the balance of power in Tehran and improved prospects for a long-term agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Calling the development a form of “regime change,” Trump said the current Iranian leadership appeared more pragmatic than officials who previously held power.

“It’s a regime change, because I find these people to be much more rational than the people that are no longer with us,” he said.

The President asserted that key figures from Iran’s previous leadership structure had been removed and replaced by individuals he described as more reasonable and open to dialogue.

“We knocked out the first team of leadership, the second team of leadership. There's a different group, a different level, and I think it's frankly a smarter level,” Trump remarked.

According to Trump, the new leadership has already endorsed the framework of a proposed agreement aimed at ensuring Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.

“They’ve all approved the deal. Everybody’s approved the deal,” he said, expressing confidence that a formal understanding could be finalised within days.

The US President argued that the recent conflict had weakened Iran’s military capabilities and increased its willingness to reach a settlement with Washington.

“They've taken a pounding. They want to make the deal a lot more than I do,” Trump said.

He also painted a stark picture of Iran’s military condition, claiming that much of its naval, air force and air defence infrastructure had been severely degraded.

Despite those assertions, Trump maintained that the current Iranian leadership was acting rationally and was committed to concluding an agreement.

“We found them to be rational and they're going to make a deal,” he said.

Reiterating the central objective of the negotiations, Trump stressed that the United States remained focused on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“They will not have a nuclear weapon,” he declared, describing the proposed arrangement as a “very strong memorandum of understanding.”

Trump further suggested that a successful agreement could pave the way for Iran’s reconstruction and economic recovery.

“They've got a chance to build a country,” he said.

His remarks are expected to draw international attention, as successive US administrations have generally avoided openly framing policy toward Iran in terms of regime change. Trump's comments appeared to directly connect recent military actions with broader political developments inside the country.
 

WIth inputs from IANS