Middle East crisis live: Trump claims Iranian supreme leader is involved in US negotiations
From 1h ago 12.02 BST Iran supreme leader involved in talks to end the war, says Trump Donald Trump said Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei
From 1h ago 12.02 BST Iran supreme leader involved in talks to end the war, says Trump Donald Trump said Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is involved in talks to end the war and that he would “like to meet him”. Khamenei has not been seen in public since the Iran war began, and has only addressed the nation through written statements read out by television anchors. US officials have claimed Khamenei was incapacitated or undergoing treatment for severe injuries sustained in the same bombing that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war. “He’s involved. Absolutely,” the US president told the New York Post. “Yeah, I think they have a lot of respect for him.” When asked about Khamenei’s condition, Trump said: “I don’t know, I haven’t had the privilege of meeting him.” He added: “If you believe the stories he is, you know, missing a lot of different parts.” Trump was asked whether he would meet with Khamenei, he replied: “Yeah, I’d like to meet him. I’d like to meet everybody … We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.” Share Updated at 12.26 BST 2m ago 13.09 BST Lebanon’s health ministry said two paramedics were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on the country’s south, with at least 130 emergency and health workers now killed since the Israel-Hezbollah war began in March.
A ministry statement said that “the Israeli enemy directly targeted an ambulance belonging to the Risala Scouts Association”, which is affiliated with Hezbollah ally the Amal movement, adding that “this resulted in the martyrdom of two paramedics and left a third with highly critical injuries.” The ministry circulated pictures of a badly damaged ambulance, with medical masks spilling out of the vehicle and scattered on the road. Share 19m ago 12.51 BST Trump: 'If it wasn't for me, there would be no Israel,' In more comments to the New York Post, Trump scoffed at claims that he was tricked by Netanyahu into joining the war against Iran. “He tricked me? I’m the one who started it,” he said. “I started because we can’t let them [Iran] have a nuclear weapon. “Now that pertains to Israel, because they probably would have been the first one to get hit. There would be no Israel. Tell you what, if there wasn’t me, there would be no Israel right now.” Share Updated at 12.56 BST 26m ago 12.44 BST Kuwait’s health ministry said 63 people were injured in an Iranian drone strike on the country’s airport this morning. Earlier, Kuwaiti authorities said one person was killed in the attack. Share Updated at 12.44 BST 31m ago 12.40 BST 'We don't need boots on the ground now,' says Trump Trump said the US “does not need” its forces on the ground in Iran, claiming his war was going well without the need to send troops.
“We don’t need boots on the ground now,” he told the New York Post. “We wiped out much of their [Iran’s] military with just bombing. We didn’t put anybody in the ground.” Share 1h ago 12.11 BST Trump: Iran has agreed to have no nuclear weapon Commenting on Iran’s nuclear programme, Trump claimed Tehran has agreed to not obtain a nuclear weapon. He told the New York Post: “We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve already agreed they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.” When pressed further, he said: “Oh, yeah, they’ve agreed to that. I mean, they can change their mind, but that was one of the things they had to agree. They’ve agreed to that. That was the big thing.” There was no immediate comment from Iran, but the nuclear issue has long remained a major bone of contention in talks between Tehran and Washington. US secretary of state Marco Rubio told a congressional hearing yesterday that Iran has agreed to negotiate aspects of its nuclear programme that it had refused to discuss even a month ago. You can read more on that here: Rubio says Iran ready to discuss nuclear deal as Tehran declares peace talks over Read more Share 1h ago 12.02 BST Iran supreme leader involved in talks to end the war, says Trump Donald Trump said Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is involved in talks to end the war and that he would “like to meet him”.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since the Iran war began, and has only addressed the nation through written statements read out by television anchors. US officials have claimed Khamenei was incapacitated or undergoing treatment for severe injuries sustained in the same bombing that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war. “He’s involved. Absolutely,” the US president told the New York Post. “Yeah, I think they have a lot of respect for him.” When asked about Khamenei’s condition, Trump said: “I don’t know, I haven’t had the privilege of meeting him.” He added: “If you believe the stories he is, you know, missing a lot of different parts.” Trump was asked whether he would meet with Khamenei, he replied: “Yeah, I’d like to meet him. I’d like to meet everybody … We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.” Share Updated at 12.26 BST
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