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US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to hold a future meeting with Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, following a highly tense telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking with the New York Post's "Pod Force One" podcast, the US president stated that he believes Khamenei is the one giving the final approval amid talks with Washington and would like to meet him. "I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out," said Trump. The broader conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran erupted on February 28, when initial military strikes targeting Tehran resulted in the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following his demise, Iran appointed his 56-year-old son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, to assume the mantle of the country's Supreme Leader. Since the transition of power in Tehran, Trump has openly speculated about the physical condition of the new Iranian leader, suggesting that Mojtaba sustained severe injuries during the US-Israeli military operations. "I'm not hearing he's doing great. If you believe the stories, he's missing a lot of different parts," Trump said on the podcast. During the same podcast interview, the US president also admitted to using "foul language" in his phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu. The admission follows an Axios report characterising the discussion between the two leaders as "heated", with diplomatic insiders revealing that Trump shouted "are you f***ing crazy" at the Israeli Prime Minister. When pressed on the details of the sharp exchange during the podcast, the US president confirmed the accuracy of the reports. "You said, 'Are you f-ing crazy? What are you f-ing doing? I helped you stay out of jail.' Is that true? Did you speak to him in those terms?" the interviewer asked. "I did," Trump responded. "I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon. I said, 'Bibi, we gotta stop this'," he added. The friction between Washington and Tel Aviv has intensified as Israel broadens its military campaign in southern Lebanon, escalating its long-running confrontation with Hezbollah. Despite Israel's deepening military push, the United States is actively pursuing a diplomatic settlement with Iran aimed at securing the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and establishing strict limitations on Tehran's nuclear programme. The blunt telephonic exchange between Trump and Netanyahu has further underscored the increasingly volatile and fragile nature of current US-Israel relations. (ANI)
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