Trump says nobody knows who runs Iran amid eight‑month war
Trump said the country’s leadership is unclear as Tehran and Washington trade accusations during an eight‑month conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last night that "nobody knows who runs Iran," commenting on an eight-month-long war between American‑Israeli forces and the Islamic Republic. His remark underscored Washington's public uncertainty over Tehran's leadership after a series of strikes and political upheavals.
Trump told reporters: "Their leaders are gone, the second group of leaders isn't there either, and my biggest problem is that nobody knows who, the hell, runs the country."
Tehran responds and leadership questions
The spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back, saying Washington is well aware of Tehran's counterparts and how its decision‑making system works. He accused U.S. officials of sending mixed signals.
The spokesman said: "The problem, in fact, is exactly the opposite — it stems from the contradictory positions and uncoordinated messages of American official representatives."
The conflict escalated when the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the U.S.‑Israeli war that began on February 28. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was chosen as successor but has not appeared in public since he was wounded in the same attack that killed his father.
Iran retaliated with strikes against Israel and countries in the Persian Gulf that host U.S. military bases. The combined U.S.‑Israeli and regional fighting has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes. Rising fuel prices caused by the war have become a political liability for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections, and Trump's popularity has recently fallen to record low levels amid public concern over higher living costs driven by rising petrol and diesel prices.
Photo: press material from the event
