‘I said, no thanks’: Trump claims Iran offered him Supreme Leader role

Speaking at a Republican fundraiser in Washington DC, Trump alleged that Iranian officials are secretly negotiating with the US but are afraid to make it public.

“They are also afraid of getting killed by us,” he said.

Trump further claimed that Iran’s leadership had proposed making him Supreme Leader after the reported death of Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel joint strike on Tehran.

“There’s never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran... No, thank you. I don’t want it,” Trump said.

According to reports, Khamenei was succeeded by his son Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump pushes diplomacy amid tensions

Trump is also reportedly pursuing renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran to ease regional tensions.

In a significant move, he ordered a temporary halt to planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, directing the Department of Defense to postpone military action for five days and describing ongoing talks as “constructive”.

He indicated that the pause would depend on progress in negotiations, signalling a cautious shift towards diplomacy.

However, Iran remains sceptical and has reportedly resumed attacks on Israel and parts of the Gulf region, including an assault that triggered a fire at Kuwait International Airport.

Meanwhile, Trump said US officials are in contact with Iran for negotiations, though he did not provide further details.