President Donald Trump sought a diplomatic meeting with Iranian leadership, but Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly silent and remains in hiding. The U.S. military launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, escalating tensions. Trump was working with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to coordinate talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Istanbul. He offered to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but Khamenei’s absence complicated the negotiations.
Khamenei, who has been sheltering in a bunker and is suspending all electronic communications, has not been reachable for hours. Turkish officials informed the U.S. that the meeting was off the table due to Khamenei’s refusal to approve the talks. Trump announced that the U.S. military had carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. He emphasized that the strikes were precise and targeted, aiming to send a clear message without escalating the conflict further.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who is known for his active presence on social media, has been silent since before the U.S. strikes. Experts suggest that even if Khamenei were involved, Iran’s regime is unlikely to make genuine efforts at diplomacy. Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert, noted that the regime’s ideology is built on hostility towards America and Israel, making compromise and peace highly improbable. Trump’s actions, according to Daftari, were a necessary response to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, with the strikes serving as a clear signal of U.S. resolve.
This situation highlights the complex interplay of diplomacy and military strategy in international relations, especially in a region characterized by deep-seated tensions and historical conflicts. The absence of Khamenei from the negotiations and the subsequent military action underscore the challenges faced by leaders in navigating such high-stakes political and military dynamics.