'They Have No Leader, Nothing' — Trump Mocks Iran as Tehran Says Its Policy Will Not Change
US President Donald Trump has mocked Iran, saying the country no longer has any leader left, which is making it difficult for him to find anyone to negotiate with. He made the remarks at a rally on Saturday night.
Trump said: "They have no planes, no ships, no leader — nothing... They have no first-tier leader... no second-tier leader either... I have to stop, because I have to find out who we are actually negotiating with."
In the first few weeks of the war, the United States and Israel killed several of Iran's top political and military leaders through air strikes, among them Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was seriously injured. He has been issuing statements at various times, but has not yet appeared in public.
The two countries, which have fought intermittently over the past nine months, have temporarily halted attacks. However, Trump has hinted that the attacks could resume after the US midterm elections to be held on 3 November.
He has also sent a third aircraft carrier group and 10,000 sailors and Marines.
Amid Trump's aggressive posture, Iran is also preparing for a conflict.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that even if the war resumes, his country's position will not change.
Araghchi said: "Recently there has been talk of a new war, but I am rather thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policy will remain unchanged."
