'I Don't Want It, No Thanks': Trump Claims Iran Offered Him Supreme Leader Role

New Delhi: Amid the escalating tensions in West Asia, US President Donald Trump claimed that people in Iran wanted him to take over as their supreme leader but said he declined the suggestion.

Speaking at the event, Trump suggested that he had heard calls from within Iran proposing him for the top leadership role but insisted he had no interest in such a position.

“There's never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran. We hear them very clearly. They say, ‘I don't want it. We'd like to make you the next supreme leader.’ No, thank you. I don't want it,” he said. 

The remarks came during an address at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fundraising dinner.

'Had to Cut Out the Cancer': Trump 

Trump also said that the military action against Iran was necessary to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, highlighting the threat as a "cancer" that had to be "cut out".

He revealed that previous US administrations had avoided taking decisive action for "47 years".

"When I went on to do something that for 47 years should have been done by any of the other Presidents, and you heard numerous of them said they wished they did it, but they didn't have the guts to do it. We had no choice, but I thought it would be much worse," he said. 

He added, “ In the short term, what we had to do was get rid of the cancer. We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon. We have cut it out. Now we are going to finish it off.”

Iran ‘Desperate’ for Deal: Trump 

Further, he also claimed that Iran is keen to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict but is hesitant to publicly acknowledge it.

“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly,” he said. 

Further, he added that internal fears and instability are preventing Iranian leaders from openly pursuing talks.

“They’re afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people… They’re also afraid they'll be killed by us,” he added. 

Iran Denies Direct Negotiations

However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied that any formal negotiations were underway with the United States.

Clarifying the situation, he said that while messages have been exchanged through intermediaries, it does not amount to direct talks.

“Messages being conveyed through our friendly countries and us responding by stating our positions… is not called negotiation or dialogue.”

War Timeline 

The conflict enters its 27th day and continues to take a heavy toll across the region.

It began on February 28, when Israel launched what it described as “preventive strikes” against Iranian targets in an operation called “Roar of the Lion”.

The attacks targeted several locations in Tehran, including areas near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was later confirmed to have been killed in the strikes.

One of the opening attacks reportedly struck a girls’ school in Minab, resulting in dozens of deaths and drawing criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups.

Iran Retaliates With Missiles and Drones

In response, Iran launched multiple waves of missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military bases and allied nations across the Middle East.

Several Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, reported intercepting incoming projectiles.

Explosions were also reported near the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, while other strikes targeted infrastructure across the region.

Regional leaders and international organisations have expressed concern about the widening conflict.

The Arab League described Iran’s war strategy as “reckless”, while several countries reported intercepting Iranian missiles in areas without U.S. military bases.

Meanwhile, more than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran and over 1,000 in Lebanon, while casualties have also been reported in Israel and among US military personnel.

Millions have been displaced as the war intensifies, adding to the growing humanitarian crisis.

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