Trump made the disclosure during a telephone interview with The Atlantic, stating that Tehran was now willing to negotiate, though he described the move as belated.

According to the American president, Iran’s request for dialogue came after what he described as a major military blow.

“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” Trump told the publication.

When asked about the timing of the proposed discussions, he declined to give specifics.

“I can’t tell you that,” he said, adding that many of the Iranian officials previously engaged in discussions with the United States were among those killed in the strike.

“Most of those people are gone. Some of the people we were dealing with are gone, because that was a big—that was a big hit. They should have done it sooner. They could have made a deal. They should’ve done it sooner. They played too cute,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian would head a temporary leadership council to oversee the country’s transitional phase following the reported death of Khamenei.

State media also indicated that about 40 senior officials were killed during the coordinated strikes carried out by United States and Israeli forces.

The joint operation, executed by U.S. and Israeli forces, marked a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two countries.

During a live broadcast on Saturday, Trump said the objective of the operation was to eliminate key figures within the Iranian regime, urging Iranian citizens to “take over their government” in the aftermath of the attack.