[91098] Donald Trump in a rare interview: "I caused harm to the leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei"

Dramatic statements by Trump on the situation in Iran

In a series of reports published on June 19, 2026, many Arab media outlets quoted Donald Trump's remarks in an interview with the website 'Axios', in which he presented a firm and surprising position regarding the new leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei. According to reports on Al Jazeera, Trump declared: "Unfortunately, I caused harm to the Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei and he sustained severe injuries," while adding that Khamenei "possesses courage."

Regarding the internal situation in Iran, Baghdad Today News Agency and Arabi21 reported that Trump believes what is happening in Iran is a "regime change," and that "Khamenei the son is different from his father." Referring to foreign policy, Trump claimed that "the naval blockade pushed Iran to the negotiating table more than before," and that "the memorandum of understanding may be an unconditional Iranian surrender." Arabi21 noted that according to Trump, the negotiations were conducted from a position of strength because "Iran's navy and air force were eliminated."

The reports sparked mixed reactions. While media outlets identified with the Western line or neutral news reports relayed the quotes verbatim, elements identified with the Axis of Resistance expressed open skepticism. For example, the channel Nahj al-Muqawama {South Lebanon}, which is identified with clear anti-American positions and support for Hamas, responded to Trump's claims with only one word: "Liar."

Additionally, Trump sharply criticized the 2015 nuclear deal, defining it as a "disaster," as reported in Al-Ghad News. According to him, in Ajel, "prolonging the war to appease the extremists could have led to a global recession," and added that there is no need to renew the war against Iran under current circumstances.