Trump ditches backchannel, goes direct with Iran's Supreme Leader: 'We probably will meet' WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald J Trump has announced he is open to a historic, face-to-face summit with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, marking an extraordinary shift from months of indirect backchannel diplomacy via third-party mediators. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Trump revealed that a personal meeting could materialize depending on how current negotiations unfold, creating a striking new trajectory for a conflict that sat on the brink of wider regional war just weeks ago. When pressed on whether the Supreme Leader is personally directing Tehran's recent diplomatic shifts, Trump confirmed that negotiators operate under the Ayatollah's explicit authority. “They say he is giving approval because that's the way it has been for a long, long time,” Trump stated, referencing the clerical succession from the leader's late father. Trump:— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 3, 2026 We seem to be getting along quite well with the Ayatollah. I would like to meet him. I will probably meet him at some point. pic.twitter.com/30zeVjSgK8 Asked directly if he would meet the Iranian leadership in person, Trump responded: “Yeah, I'd like to meet him... We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.” President touts swift battlefield successes Trump expressed immense confidence that the administration is on the verge of a very big success, declaring that the United States has essentially defeated the Iranian military on the battlefield. He linked the current Middle East standoff directly to his administration's swift intervention in South America earlier this year. “We had a big success in Venezuela,” Trump told the New York Post, describing it as essentially a less-than-one-day war that safely opened the nation's energy sector. “The oil companies are moving in now with us, and that's been a tremendous success... and we're having a very great success in Iran militarily,” he added. Naval trade embargo remains operational Despite his willingness to engage in unprecedented top-level diplomacy, Trump maintained that the United States remains fully postured to pursue harsher alternatives if a permanent settlement falls apart. .@POTUS on Iran: "That'll be a very big success... We've essentially defeated the military. We'll see what happens. We’re working on a deal, and if that happens, fine — and if it doesn't happen, that's ok too, we'll do it the other way." pic.twitter.com/aXdZCruAwL— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 3, 2026 He emphasized that the Pentagon's comprehensive naval containment strategy continues to hold an absolute grip over the region. “We're working on a deal, and if that happens, fine — and if it doesn't happen, that's ok too. We'll do it the other way,” Trump warned. “We're in good shape right now. We have the blockade, which is amazing. Our Navy is great.” Fast resolution expected before autumn While defense analysts questioned whether the tight maritime restrictions would drag on into the second half of the year, Trump predicted an imminent conclusion. "I think we're going to be in very good shape. We're in good shape right now," says @POTUS on Iran.— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 3, 2026 "I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly." pic.twitter.com/qgyHTr3c6E He dismissed the likelihood of the naval trade embargo remaining active through the upcoming holiday season. Asked if the tight containment lines would still be anchored in place by Labor Day, the president stated that such an extended timeline remains unlikely. “I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” Trump concluded, signaling that the pressure from the active embargo will force Tehran into executing a final deal soon.
Trump ditches backchannel, goes direct with Iran's Supreme Leader: 'We probably will meet' WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald J Trump has announced he is open to a historic, face-to-face summit with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, marking an extraordinary shift from months …
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.