Trump says US avoided targeting Iranian officials during Khamenei funeral to keep talks alive

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington deliberately chose not to target senior Iranian officials gathered at the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in order to preserve the possibility of diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.

Speaking in an interview, Trump said the United States had the opportunity to strike Iran’s top political and military leadership while they were attending the funeral but decided against it.

“They are all there. One shot, and we can take them all out, but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” Trump said.

His comments come as Washington and Tehran continue efforts to revive diplomatic talks following weeks of heightened military tensions.

Trump also claimed Iran was eager to reach an agreement with the United States after the recent conflict. Citing the interview, Axios reported that the US president said Tehran was “begging to make a deal” and “dying to settle” after the United States had, in his words, “knocked the hell out of” the country.

According to Trump, both sides agreed to temporarily pause nuclear negotiations during the funeral and official mourning period. He said the brief suspension was intended to allow the ceremonies to conclude peacefully and that neither side would launch attacks during that time.

The US president also questioned the large public turnout and emotional scenes during Khamenei’s funeral. He said he was surprised to see mourners openly grieving, claiming he believed many Iranians opposed the late leader.

“Maybe it’s fake tears,” Trump said, suggesting the public displays of mourning may not have reflected genuine public sentiment.

Trump’s remarks are likely to draw criticism from Tehran, adding further strain to already tense relations between the United States and Iran.