President Donald Trump said Monday, Oct. 12, that the United States and Israel "might have gone too far" with the killing of Iranian leaders, suggesting the campaign had complicated negotiations with the Islamic Republic, according to a report by Dave DeCamp published by Antiwar.com on Tuesday, Oct. 13. [1]
Trump made the comments at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio on Monday while repeating his usual claims about the state of Iran, the report said. The remarks marked a notable public acknowledgment from the president that the decapitation campaign against Iran's leadership may have created as many problems as it solved. According to the report, Trump's statement indicated that the killings were complicating negotiations with Tehran at a moment when Washington is seeking an end to the conflict that began in late February. [1]
Trump Cites Difficulty Identifying Iranian Counterparts
Masoud Pezeshkian has been Iran's president since July 2024 and recently traveled to New York City for the UN General Assembly, where he delivered a defiant speech, according to the report. Pezeshkian survived an Israeli strike during the 12-Day War in June 2025, but it does not appear that he was targeted in the current conflict, the report said.
The confusion underscored the broader difficulty facing Washington. Separate reports have described an administration struggling to identify a negotiating partner in Tehran. According to Middle East Eye, Trump said during the same Ohio rally that Iran wants to reach a deal with Washington but claims "they don't know how to," adding that the country is "the No. 1 state sponsor of terror" [2].
Trump Cites Difficulty Identifying Iranian Counterparts
The opening U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several members of his family, including his 14-month-old granddaughter, according to the report. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has replaced him, though he has not made a public appearance since taking the role, the report stated.
Trump's remarks suggested the leadership changes have made it harder to determine whom to deal with in negotiations, according to the report. A senior Iranian commander had warned the U.S. and Israel against carrying out any attacks during the upcoming funeral processions for Ali, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28, according to a July 2026 report [3].
The succession has left U.S. officials without a clear channel to Tehran. According to Just the News, fighting began in late February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed the elder Khamenei [4]. ...