US President Donald Trump said that the US may share control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran while also suggesting that regime change has already happened, given the number of regime officials eliminated thus far in the war, while speaking to reporters on Monday.
“Maybe me, me and the ayatollah, whoever the ayatollah, whoever the next ayatollah is. And there will also be some form of regime change, very serious regime change.” Trump later stated that the US had “eliminated everything there is to eliminate in Iran, including leaders.”
Trump said the conversations, during which the two sides had “major points of agreement,” took place on Sunday and involved the “top” Iranian leadership, though he had not heard from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and further noted that he does not know if Khamenei is alive.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is leading the talks with the United States, a source told The Jerusalem Post.
“We’re dealing with the man who I believe is the most respected and the leader,” Trump said.
“But we’re dealing with people who I find very reasonable, very stable,” he added.
Mediating countries are trying to convene a meeting this week between senior American and Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, a source familiar with the details told the Post.
“All I’m saying is, we are in the throes of a real possibility of making a deal,” Trump told reporters before departing Florida for Memphis.
Witkoff, Kushner held talks with Iran
The US president added that his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held the talks, which the president noted began on Saturday night.
“We have had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have points, major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement... we’ve had very strong talks. Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner had them,” Trump said, further saying he will “give it five days.”
He said that the talks had also involved the issue of uranium enrichment, saying that he remains committed to zero enrichment for Iran, as well as the Islamic Republic’s surrender of existing enriched uranium.
Trump described the Iranian position as them wanting to “settle,” further noting that the talks are “one more opportunity” for Iran to end its threats to the US and adding that the world will be “much safer soon.”
“This time, Iran means business,” said Trump.
Reuters contributed to this report.