- Trump claims Iran lacks leaders after US-Israeli campaign.
- US deploys forces, hinting renewed strikes post-election.
- Iran maintains policies; warns US against new war.
- Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint, seeing sporadic exchanges.
US President Donald Trump took a swipe at Iran during a rally on Sunday, claiming the country had no leaders left and that he was struggling to find anyone with whom Washington could negotiate.
“They have no airplanes, no ships, no leaders, no anything… Their level-one leader is gone… their level-two leader is gone… I’ve got to stop, because I have to figure out with whom we are negotiating,” Trump said.
A video of his remarks has gone viral on social media, drawing attention to the impact of the US-Israeli military campaign on Iran’s leadership.
During the first few weeks of the war, the US and Israel killed several of Iran’s senior political and military figures in airstrikes, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s New Supreme Leader Yet To Make Public Appearance
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s Supreme Leader, was also seriously injured. Although he has continued issuing statements, he has yet to appear in public.
The leadership losses have come amid a conflict in which the US and Israel have targeted Iran’s political and military establishment. Trump cited the loss of senior leaders while questioning whom Washington could negotiate with.
Trump Signals Possible Resumption Of Strikes
The US and Iran, which have been engaged in intermittent hostilities over the past nine months, have temporarily halted strikes. However, Trump has hinted that military action could resume after the US midterm elections on November 3.
Washington has also deployed a third aircraft carrier group, along with 10,000 sailors and Marines, adding to the military pressure on Tehran.
Amid Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric and the deployment of additional forces, Iran is also preparing for the possibility of renewed attacks.
Iran Says Its Position Will Not Change If War Resumes
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of hostilities would not alter Tehran’s policies.
“Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” Araghchi was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
He also warned Washington against attempting another military campaign, arguing that previous attacks had failed to produce a different outcome for Iran.
“They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past,” he added.
Strait Of Hormuz Remains A Flashpoint
Despite the temporary halt in strikes, Iran and the US have continued sporadic exchanges of fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important maritime passage through which a large share of global oil supplies is transported.
The exchanges, coupled with Trump’s warnings and Tehran’s defiant response, underscore the continuing risk of renewed conflict even as the two sides face questions over the prospects for negotiations.
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