President of the United States, Donald Trump, has revealed that the US is currently in contact with a “top person” in Iran, but not with the newly appointed supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
According to Trump, the engagement is part of efforts to bring the conflict to an end, although he made it clear that the new supreme leader is not directly involved in the discussions.
Responding to a question from CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Kaitlin Collins, about who the US is communicating with in Iran, Trump said, “A top person’. Remember: We have eliminated the leadership in phases one, two, and largely in three.
“However, we are negotiating with a man whom I believe is the most respected; it’s somewhat challenging, as they have been eliminated – we have removed everyone.”
When asked whether the US was holding talks with Khamenei, Trump replied: “No, not the supreme leader.”
“We have not received any communication from the son. Occasionally, you might see a statement issued – but we are uncertain if he is alive,” Trump further remarked.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since his emergence as supreme leader two weeks ago, following an Israeli airstrike that reportedly killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, a development that has fueled speculation about his condition.
Trump had earlier described Mojtaba as an “unacceptable” choice prior to his emergence as supreme leader.
