World ( The cow news digital ) Former U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States had the capability to target and eliminate individuals attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but chose not to proceed in order to preserve the possibility of future diplomatic engagement.
Speaking in an interview with a journalist from the American news outlet Axios, Trump expressed surprise at the public reaction inside Iran following the reported death of Khamenei. He said he was taken aback by images showing large crowds of Iranian citizens mourning and expressing emotional grief, noting that he had previously believed the Iranian public held strong resentment toward their leadership.
“I thought Iranians hated him, but seeing people crying at the funeral surprised me,” Trump said, referring to Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies. His remarks suggested a reassessment of his perception of internal sentiment within Iran.
Trump further stated that, in a hypothetical scenario, U.S. forces could have carried out a strike on the gathering, potentially affecting all attendees present at the funeral. However, he emphasized that such an action was deliberately avoided. According to him, taking such a step would have eliminated any remaining opportunity for dialogue or negotiations between the two countries.
“If we wanted to, we could have taken them all out, but we didn’t,” he said, adding that restraint was necessary because “there would be no one left to negotiate with afterward.”
The comments come amid a period of fluctuating tensions between Washington and Tehran, where diplomatic engagement has often been interrupted by political and military escalations. Trump also indicated that both Iran and the United States had mutually agreed to pause ongoing negotiations temporarily, although he did not provide further details on the conditions or timeline for resumption.
The remarks are likely to draw international attention, as they touch on sensitive geopolitical dynamics and longstanding hostilities between the two nations. Analysts note that such statements, whether hypothetical or strategic in tone, often influence perceptions of deterrence and diplomatic signaling in the region.
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Neither Iranian officials nor U.S. government representatives issued immediate responses following the interview.
The situation continues to develop as observers await further clarification on the status of diplomatic talks and regional stability.
