Trump says he agrees to dialogue with Iran's new leadership and

By Long Yue

Source: Wall Street CN

Trump has expressed willingness to hold talks with Iran’s new leadership. When discussing Iran’s new leadership, he cited the “Venezuela model,” saying, “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is perfect.” The U.S. took control of Venezuela’s top leader, after which the Venezuelan government became willing to cooperate with the U.S. On the question of “who will lead Iran,” Trump claimed he has “three very good options” but “will not reveal them now; we’ll finish the job first.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled readiness to engage with Iran’s new leadership, laying out multiple regime-change scenarios including the “Venezuela model,” while vowing that U.S.-Israeli military operations will continue until all objectives are met.

According to the latest report from Xinhua News Agency, U.S. President Trump said on March 1 that Iran’s new leadership wants to talk to him, and he has agreed to hold talks with the Iranian side.

“They want to talk, and I’ve agreed to talk, so I will talk with them.”

When asked when the talks would take place, Trump replied: “I can’t tell you.” He noted that some Iranians involved in negotiations in recent weeks have been killed. “They could have reached a deal; they should have done it earlier. They got clever.”

Trump’s remarks came after U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, potentially signaling new political maneuvering space amid the Middle East’s violent turmoil. Xinhua reported that Iranian President Pezeshkian said on March 1 that Iran’s temporary leadership council began work that day, pending the election of a new supreme leader.

### Trump Cites the “Venezuela Model”

In discussing Iran’s new leadership, Trump put forward a high-profile option—the “Venezuela model.” In recent media interviews, Trump stated that in its operation in Venezuela, the U.S. took control of the top leader while preserving most of the government structure, which then became willing to cooperate with the U.S.

As reported by CCTV News, on January 3 this year, U.S. President Trump announced that U.S. forces had launched a raid in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and said the pair would face criminal charges in New York. He also declared the U.S. would “temporarily run” Venezuela.

Trump said:

“What we did in Venezuela, I think, is perfect—a perfect scenario.”

Reports indicate Trump implied this model could be replicated in Iran: finding a leadership more willing to cooperate with the U.S.

However, this vision faces enormous challenges. Iran possesses a massive military, a complex social structure, and maintains a nuclear program. Trump’s advisers have warned that vast cultural and historical differences make replicating the Venezuela strategy in Iran nearly impossible.

At the same time, Trump’s remarks are rife with contradictions. He has put forward several inconsistent scenarios, without even clarifying whether he seeks to “preserve the existing power structure” or “overthrow the old one.”

While repeatedly referencing his so-called “Venezuela experience,” Trump also claimed he wants Iran’s elite armed forces—including “hardline officers” in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—to hand over their weapons to the Iranian people. “If you think about it, they will actually surrender to the people,” he said.

On the question of “who will lead Iran,” Trump said he has “three very good options” but declined to name them: “I won’t reveal them now. We’ll finish the job first.”

Media reports also noted that Iran said earlier that day a temporary council would run the country until a successor to the supreme leader is chosen. The reports cited remarks by Iran’s top national security official Ali Larijani, who previously led nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and was sanctioned by the Trump administration in January. Trump did not answer whether he believes Larijani could lead the Iranian government.

### Military Operations to Continue; Ammunition Stockpiles in Focus

On the conflict’s duration, Trump’s stance has shifted from earlier comments. He stated the U.S. and Israel will continue military operations until all objectives are achieved.

As reported by CCTV News, U.S. President Trump said in a video address on March 1 local time that the U.S. and Israel will continue military operations against Iran until all objectives are met. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said the same day that Iran will decide when and how this war of aggression imposed by the U.S. and Israel will end.

Previously, Trump had said military operations against Iran could last about four weeks.

Speaking about sustaining combat intensity, Trump said:

“It won’t be very difficult… We have massive amounts of ammunition. You know, we stockpile ammunition in different countries around the world.”

Despite Trump’s confidence in ammunition reserves, the Pentagon has previously expressed concerns that the conflict could further deplete strategic stockpiles. With several U.S. troops already killed, Trump acknowledged “we expect casualties” and said projections indicate the number could be higher.

### Iran’s “Mosaic Defense”

Facing sustained U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran has not backed down.

According to CCTV News, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said in a social media post on March 1 that Iran has studied U.S. military failures for the past 20 years, and U.S.-Israeli bombings of Tehran will not affect Iran’s war-fighting capabilities.

Araghchi stated that Iran’s decentralized, distributed “mosaic defense” system allows Iran to decide when and how the war will end.

This indicates Iran is prepared for a prolonged conflict.

Iran’s temporary leadership council has begun work pending the election of a new supreme leader. Trump has said he would lift sanctions on Iran if the new leadership shows a pragmatic, cooperative attitude. However, with the conflict ongoing and both sides’ positions still opposed, any substantive dialogue and compromise face formidable obstacles.

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