Donald Trump Opens Dialogue Opportunity with Iran's New Leadership
US President Donald Trump has indicated readiness to engage in dialogue with the remaining leadership of Iran following a brutal and devastating joint US-Israeli military assault on Saturday, 28 February, which shocked the world.
The military operation, aimed at overthrowing the Tehran regime, has entered its second day. Intensive bombing campaigns across major Iranian cities have triggered retaliatory missile strikes that have destabilised the region and disrupted global economic stability.
The death of Khamenei, who had held power since 1989, represents a severe blow to Iran. Reports indicate that US intelligence (CIA) had been tracking his location for months. The New York Times reported that Israel launched the strike immediately after the CIA provided information about a high-level defence meeting at Khamenei’s residence complex in Tehran.
Trump claimed via social media that 48 Iranian leaders were killed during the first two days of bombing. Additionally, nine Iranian warships are reported to have been sunk and their naval headquarters destroyed.
“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will speak with them,” Trump told The Atlantic magazine. “They should have done it earlier. They waited too long.”
The situation on the ground remains dire. Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, reported that hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in strikes allegedly deliberately targeting residential areas. Iranian state media reported 165 deaths from bombing at a girls’ primary school in the city of Minab.
The conflict has expanded into Lebanon, with Israel beginning to attack Hezbollah targets after the group launched missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for Khamenei’s death. Meanwhile, airports in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai have been forced to close due to missile damage, triggering the worst global aviation disruption in recent years.
The war has had immediate consequences for the energy sector. Global oil prices have surged following reports that two tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 150 tankers have chosen to anchor rather than transit the waterway, which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Shipping giants MSC and Maersk have suspended operations in the region.
Despite the critical situation, Tehran has insisted that Khamenei’s death will not diminish their resistance. President Masoud Pezeshkian has temporarily assumed the role of Supreme Leader alongside a leadership council until a permanent successor is selected.
However, Ali Larijani, Iran’s senior security official, has denied reports of negotiation attempts with the Trump administration, accusing the US and Israel of seeking to plunder and destabilise Iranian sovereignty.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is reported to have been killed in the Tehran strike, though Iranian media has not yet provided official confirmation. China has strongly condemned the US-Israeli assault that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad to protest the US-Israeli attack.