Trump says he’d be ‘honoured’ to meet Iran’s new supreme leader three months after family killed

US President Donald Trump has said he would be ‘honoured’ to meet Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, three months after a US military operation killed his family

US President Donald Trump has expressed that he would be “honoured” to meet Iran’s new supreme leader, three months after a US military operation resulted in the death of his family.

The US and Israel launched strikes on several crucial Iranian sites on February 28, during which the former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.

His son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was seriously injured in the strikes.

Mojtaba has assumed control of Iran, which retaliated by attacking sites across the Middle East and shutting down the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

When questioned if he wished to meet with Mojtaba, Trump told reporters on Thursday, May 4: “I don’t want to meet, but if I did meet, I’d be honoured to meet him.”

“If we make a deal, it’s possible that I would meet him. I’d be okay with that.”

Operation Epic Fury not only claimed the life of Mojtaba’s father, but also his wife and child.

When asked whether he believes Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei harbours “hard feelings,” Trump responded: “I would say I’m not his favourite person.”

“He’s probably a professional. In some circles he has a very good reputation actually. Sometimes people say bad, but a lot of people say bad about me. It’s totally false, of course.”

The US and Iran have managed to uphold a delicate ceasefire for weeks.

However, the nations have failed to secure a long-term peace agreement and the risk of escalation hangs in the balance after the two countries exchanged attacks on military bases across the Middle East earlier this week.