Trump: We may have gone too far with attacks on Iran’s leadership
President Trump said attacks on Iranian leadership complicated Washington’s ability to find negotiating partners and described later "levels" of operations as excessive.
At a campaign rally in the U.S. state of Ohio on October 13, 2026, President Donald Trump acknowledged that recent U.S. attacks on Iran’s leadership may have gone too far and said those strikes have made it harder for Washington to find negotiating partners to end the conflict.
Trump says strikes complicated diplomacy
“We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don't know who the hell we're dealing with anymore,” Trump told supporters. “We're having a hard time figuring out who the hell to deal with, to be honest with you. I think we went too far.”
He added that the United States could have halted operations earlier and that later stages of the campaign—what he described as higher "levels"—were likely excessive, without specifying what those levels entailed. “We could have stopped at level one. Level two and level two and a half was probably going too far,” he said.
Trump also claimed that potential Iranian successors are unwilling to assume the presidency in Tehran, and repeated that the United States will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons while calling Iran the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
The president argued that U.S. military action has effectively destroyed Iran’s air force and navy. He went further to say that Iran has lost all 159 ships, which he claimed now "peacefully rest at the bottom of the sea."
Analysts say such admissions could signal a reassessment of tactics in Washington, but they also underscore how targeted strikes on senior leaders can complicate diplomatic openings by removing interlocutors. The comments come as the region remains tense and talks over a ceasefire and de-escalation face fresh hurdles.
Photo: press material from the event
