President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. military operation in Iran is progressing faster than expected, describing it as “moving along very well - ahead of schedule," in remarks to Joe Kernen of CNBC.
Speaking by phone, Trump characterized Iran’s leadership as extremely violent and said the United States was acting not only in its own interests but on behalf of the broader international community. “We’re doing our job not just for us but for the world," he said, adding that developments remain ahead of schedule.
The comments followed the launch on Saturday of a joint strike on Iran that resulted in the death of the country’s leader, Ali Khamenei. Iranian forces have since carried out a counterattack. Trump has been overseeing the operation from Mar-a-Lago, his residence in Palm Beach.
Addressing the possibility of de-escalation, Trump said an end to the conflict would depend on multiple factors, but emphasized that current trends were encouraging. “Things are evolving in a very positive way right now," he said.
In a separate interview, President Trump told The Atlantic that Iran's new leadership wants to resume negotiations and he has agreed to talk.
"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them," Trump said. "They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long." He described the strikes as "a big hit" that eliminated many prior Iranian negotiators.
The attacks followed Trump's February 28 video urging Iranians to revolt against their regime after bombing ends, predicting an uprising and citing reported street celebrations in Iran and among expatriates. He declined to commit to ongoing bombing in support of a revolt, saying he would assess the situation as it develops.
The strikes mark Trump's second major action against Iran since June, framed by him as reversing 47 years of Iranian aggression. He expressed confidence it won't hurt Republican midterm prospects, citing a strong economy and limited oil disruption. U.S. casualties were reported shortly after: three service members killed and five wounded.
Trump also noted long-standing U.S. intelligence efforts against Iranian assassination plots targeting American officials, including himself, but declined to discuss new threats post-strike.