In a foreign policy U-turn that has infuriated Iranians at home and left them completely perplexed, President Donald Trump has evidently changed his mind about Tehran’s leadership.
The American President shocked the nation by saying, “Just days after launching fierce rhetorical attacks against Iran’s newly appointed, allegedly disfigured Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei,”We appear to be getting along really nicely.
The whiplash was felt right away in Iran, where many reacted with incredulity and rage at how quickly Trump went from applying maximum pressure to abrupt wooing.
On Wednesday, Trump declared that he will “probably meet with Iran’s Ayatollah at some point.”
In an interview with the “Pod Force One” podcast, Trump stated that “Iran situation… will be very good” and that Iran’s leader was participating in peace negotiations with the United States.
Regarding the Ayatollah, Trump stated, “I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.”
Speaking anonymously for security reasons, three Iranians told the Daily Mail that they feel “betrayed” by Trump, who they claim gave them direct hope during a period when their regime was murdering demonstrators in the streets.
They claim that his decision to engage in negotiations with the same murderous regime has made them wonder if regular Iranians were ever considered.
Iranians were immediately affected by the whiplash, reacting with incredulity and rage at how quickly the U.S. President went from applying maximum pressure to abrupt wooing.
A demonstrator with a sign that said, “Be the voice of Iran.” Following recent anti-government demonstrations in Iran, members of the Iranian diaspora gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in London, urging President Donald Trump to assist in ending the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iranian community members carry signs at a demonstration in Sydney, Australia.
Since his father was bombed by American and Israeli forces, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained in hiding. “Anyone who supports this regime and gives them authority is definitely an accomplice to evil.” Iran’s actual citizens feel like negotiating chips on the international scene. One Iranian company owner asked, “When will our suffering be over?”
Trump’s political philosophy has always been based on a clear infatuation with absolute authority; he has a long-standing fondness for strongmen such as Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Viktor Orban.
He specifically targeted the families of Iran’s leaders as well.
“If you believe the stories, he’s missing a lot of different parts,” Trump said to Miranda Devine of The Post of the now-powerful son of the Supreme Leader.
Since then, the 56-year-old has disappeared from public view due to unexpected US-Israeli airstrikes. His father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and numerous family members are said to have perished in the strikes.
A second Iranian woman who resides in Tehran claims that because authorities like Khamenei will once again be given legitimacy, they now worry for their lives even more. “Was it all for nothing?” she asks. There were a lot of fatalities. We were prepared to give our lives in defense of our freedom, but it appears that both regimes took advantage of us. All for a few barrels of less expensive gas and oil.
Given that the administration will once again be legitimized, a second Iranian woman residing in Tehran claims that they now worry for their lives even more. “Was it all for nothing?” she asks. There were a lot of fatalities. We were prepared to give our lives in defense of our freedom, but it appears that both regimes took advantage of us. All for a few barrels of less expensive gas and oil.
“They killed several fanatical leaders and left behind maniacal people with the same exact mentality and a thirst for revenge,” adds a third Iranian college student, who feels as though their future has been stolen. They told the Daily Mail in Farsi, “They have bloodlust for their own people, for acts they perceived as defiance, and towards the US, for killing the religious leaders’ family members.”
The location of US-Israeli airstrikes in Tehran is surrounded by smoke and flames.
The conflict, which started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has a precarious ceasefire. Thick plumes of smoke are seen rising after airstrikes in Baharestan, in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, in this video clip from April 3, 2026.
After an Iranian drone and missile attack destroyed airport infrastructure, flights at Kuwait International Airport were halted.
Trump responded on Truth Social on Wednesday, saying, “The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today.” Iranian media reported that Tehran had not communicated with Washington in a number of days.
As tensions escalated in Israel’s independent but connected conflict with the Iranian-backed militant organization Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran’s Fars and Tasnim news agencies, both thought to be sympathetic to the Guard, claimed that Tehran’s negotiators had ceased contact with ceasefire mediators.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, a regional person involved in the mediation told AP that Iran had not communicated at all on Tuesday after stating that in order for talks to proceed, a ceasefire in Lebanon had to be implemented.
“Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous,” Trump said on Truth Social in response to the allegations.
Iran and the US announced last week that they were moving closer to a preliminary agreement to end the conflict and reopen the strait. However, the two countries have not yet approved the agreement, which would postpone further difficult talks.
Since the middle of March, Trump has declared that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is his top priority and that he is close to a deal.
Iran frequently claims that its atomic program is for benign purposes and denies ever creating a nuclear weapon.
