Trump says he would meet Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei

SEOUL, South Korea (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

In an interview with the U.S. daily New York Post's podcast 'Pod Save America,' released on the 3rd (local time), Trump responded to the question 'Do you want to meet Khamenei?' by saying, 'I haven't thought about it,' and then added, 'That's a good question. I'll think about it. Yes, I would meet him.'

He added, 'I want to meet everyone. Depending on how everything goes, maybe at some point we will meet,' he added.

President Trump said that Mojtaba Khamenei, who is in seclusion, 'is clearly involved in Iran's decision-making in the peace negotiation process,' and 'I think they (Iranians) respect him very much.'

He said he heard that Khamenei's health condition was not very good, but that he was approving negotiations.

Trump's remarks about wanting to meet Khamenei appear to be spontaneous, but they can also be interpreted as reflecting his will to resolve the negotiations.

Amid analyses that the peace negotiations are facing difficulties due to the diverse voices within Iran, including hardliners and moderates, these remarks could reflect President Trump's desire to have a direct talk with the ultimate decision-maker.

President Trump also claimed that Iran 'has already agreed not to possess nuclear weapons.'

When asked what it would look like if hostilities with Iran resumed, he said, 'We don't need ground troops at the moment. As you know, we have already destroyed a significant portion of their military with airstrikes alone,' he said.

Regarding reports that President Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his rage with profanity after recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon disrupted peace talks with Iran, Trump acknowledged, 'Yes, I did.'

President Trump said, 'I was a little upset that he was continuing to fight with Lebanon,' adding, 'I have worked very well with him. I like Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname),' he said.

He criticized those who argued that he was swayed by Netanyahu's 'sweet talk' into going to war with Iran, saying, 'They are just enemies. They are Democrats, and they are the UN.'

He reiterated his argument that if he had not launched a preemptive strike against Iran, Iran would have obtained nuclear weapons, and Israel would have been wiped out by an Iranian nuclear attack.

President Trump predicted that for the Republican Party's next presidential candidate, 'JD Vance (Vice President) and Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) would be a great team. If those two ran together as a team, they would be invincible.'

President Trump urged that the 'SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act,' which strengthens voter ID checks and generally prohibits mail-in voting, must be passed, claiming that the U.S. election system is corrupt and rigged.

When asked if he would withdraw the anti-weaponization fund, known as the 'crime victims fund,' amid opposition from both parties, Trump replied, 'No,' adding that 'the court has ruled to ban it,' implying that it could not be pursued due to judicial intervention.

He maintained his position that the fund was intended to help 'people who lost their lives for ridiculous reasons,' stating, 'They should be compensated for the damages they suffered due to the corrupt (Joe Biden) administration.'

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated at a House hearing the previous day, 'I still believe the reason for establishing the fund is important, but we will not pursue this fund,' he said.