United States President Donald Trump on Friday declared that it is difficult to negotiate with Iran because of a near-total collapse of the Iranian leadership structure.
Speaking during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy Presentation, where he was honoring the U.S. Naval Academy football team for winning the 2025 college football series, Trump suggested that the primary obstacle to ending the current conflict is a lack of surviving counterparts.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that since the commencement of “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28, 2026, joint U.S. and Israeli strikes have targeted high-level command and control centers across Tehran.
Reports indicate that multiple tiers of the Iranian government, from the Supreme Council down to regional IRGC commanders, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been neutralized.
“Their Navy’s gone, their Air Force is gone, their anti-aircraft is all gone. It’s all gone. Their radar is all gone. Their leaders are all gone,” the president said while explaining the reason it is difficult to negotiate with Iran.
“Their leaders are all gone. The next set of leaders is all gone. And the next set of leaders is mostly gone,” Trump continued. “And now, nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore. We’re having a hard time. We want to talk to them and there’s nobody to talk to.”
“We have nobody to talk to. And you know what? We like it that way,” he added.
Speaking further, Trump praised Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for doing a “fantastic job” with the military effort and added that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine has been “unbelievable.”
The president said he told Hegseth — who had two sons involved in the ceremony — that he could remain in the Situation Room at the White House instead of attending.
“I told him, I said, Dan, if you don’t mind, stay in the Situation Room and you watch all those attacks that we are hitting those guys with,” Trump also said about Caine and Iran.
Recall that Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of strikes as Operation Epic Fury was launched against Iran on Feb. 28.
He has been replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei, however, the U.S government had claimed that he was injured in the strikes that hit Iran on February 28.
Below are some of the high-ranking Iranian officials who have been confirmed killed:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: The Supreme Leader was killed in the initial wave of strikes on February 28, 2026, targeting his compound in Tehran.
Ali Larijani: Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a key wartime strategist; killed in a precision strike on March 17, 2026.
Esmail Khatib: Minister of Intelligence; confirmed killed by Israeli forces on March 18, 2026.
Ali Shamkhani: Secretary of the Iranian Defense Council; killed during the opening strikes on February 28.
Majid Ebn-e-Reza: Appointed as Defense Minister following the start of the war; killed on March 3, just one day after taking office.
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi: Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; killed February 28.
Major General Mohammad Pakpour: Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces; killed February 28.
