Wire flash
PoliticsIran FM Dismisses Trump's Idea of Meeting Supreme Leader as Unrealistic
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the possibility of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, calling the idea unrealistic. Trump had told the New York Post he would like to meet the Supreme Leader. Araghchi's comments came in an interview with Al Mayadeen television aired on June 4, 2026. The article also notes that Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father Ali Khamenei after the latter was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Israel and Gulf allies. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but mediated talks between Iran and the U.S. have not produced a permanent end to the conflict. Araghchi stated the new Supreme Leader has full control over the country's affairs but remains out of public view for security reasons.
Source report
Iran's top diplomat played down the chances in an interview with Lebanese media aired on Thursday (June 4, 2026) night, suggesting it was not realistic.
Published – June 06, 2026 01:01 pm IST – Tehran
AFP
File Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed the idea of his country's Supreme Leader meeting Donald Trump, after the U.S. President floated the prospect.
On Wednesday (June 3, 2026), Mr. Trump told the New York Post: "Yeah, I'd like to meet him," when asked about a possible encounter, adding that "we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out".
West Asia war updates on June 6, 2026
Iran's top diplomat, however, played down the chances in an interview with Lebanese media aired on Thursday (June 4, 2026) night, suggesting it was not realistic.
"I saw a report which apparently said that he [Trump] had stated that he was ready for a meeting or that he wanted to hold a meeting," Mr. Araghchi told Al Mayadeen television channel.
"I think we should be realistic and think and live in the real world," he said.
Trump says Iran has ‘22%’ of missiles left
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Iran's Supreme Leader in March after the death of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Mr. Araghchi said in the interview that during the attacks that killed Ali Khamenei, he had been inside the leader's office where he died, but in another wing of the building, so he was unharmed.
The attacks prompted Iran to retaliate with missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf region.
U.S. military says it shot down Iranian missiles, drones launched toward Gulf allies, Strait of Hormuz
Mr. Araghchi also said the new Supreme Leader has a "completely close and effective presence in the country's affairs and has full control".
He said Mojtaba Khamenei's absence from public view since his appointment was "due to security considerations" surrounding the war, which has been paused since April 8 by a fragile ceasefire.
Mediated and direct talks between Iran and the United States have so far failed to produce a permanent end to the conflict.
Published – June 06, 2026 01:01 pm IST
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Regional
Part of this Story
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Reappears Amidst Health Speculation