In a recent development, President Donald Trump disclosed ongoing negotiations with an unspecified Iranian figure following the U.S. operation that resulted in the death of the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his close associates, known as Operation Epic Fury.
In the wake of these events, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah, was appointed as the new supreme leader. However, his leadership has been marred by persistent rumors questioning his competence and speculating about his personal life and health. His absence from public appearances has led to him being dubbed the “Cardboard Ayatollah.”
According to Nick Arama of RedState, there has been widespread speculation that President Trump’s negotiation counterpart is Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. On Monday, President Trump confirmed these speculations.
When questioned about the trustworthiness of Ghalibaf, Trump mentioned that the current Iranian leadership appears to be more manageable compared to their predecessors.
For more on this topic: Stay updated with the latest developments as the U.S. and Israel continue their strategic engagements with Iran.
“We’re gonna find out,” Trump told The Post when asked about Iran’s Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “I’ll let you know that in about a week.”
He went on to say that so far, he is finding the new guard to be easier to deal with than their former (deceased) compatriots:
The president described a dramatic shake-up inside Iran, claiming the old guard has effectively been wiped out and replaced by a new group he said has so far been easier to work with.
“There has been total regime change because the regimes of the past are gone and we’re dealing with a whole new set of people,” Trump said. “And thus far, they’ve been much more reasonable.”
US President Donald Trump said the United States would soon determine whether Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is willing to work with Washington, the New York Post reported.
“We’re gonna find out,” he said when asked about Ghalibaf.
“I’ll let you know that in… pic.twitter.com/k3JISfCNUC
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 30, 2026
“I’ll let you know that in about a week,” he added.
MORE IRAN DEVELOPMENTS: The State of the Game: New Developments As U.S., Israel Continue Pummeling Iran
Trump’s Final Warning to Iran? Open the Strait, Make the Deal, or Face ‘Obliteration’ of Infrastructure
The president also hinted at what could happen to Ghalibaf if does turn to be a bad actor:
Pressed on whether these are new figures compared to past US adversaries in Tehran, Trump didn’t mince words.
“Pretty much,” he said. “The other people are all dead.”
He also dismissed any possibility that the Cardboard Ayatollah could be a factor, because he’s basically out of commission.
“Nobody’s heard from him,” Trump said of the leader, whom The Post previously reported that US intel officials believe to be gay. “He’s very seriously injured.”
Asked if Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive, Trump added, “We don’t know. We think probably yes, but in extraordinarily bad shape.”
🔥🚨BREAKING: Iran made a cardboard cut-out of their old Supreme leader due to the new Supreme Leader skipping his appearance due to fears of being killed.
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) March 10, 2026
Trump has been threatening to take out Iran’s power facilities if they don’t agree to his terms and fully open the Strait of Hormuz. It’s hard to believe that anybody who made it as far as becoming Iran’s Parliament Speaker could be trustworthy, but perhaps Ghalibaf is smart enough that anything but cooperation will likely have him meeting the same fate as the former Supreme Leader.
Sounds like we’ll know in “about a week.”
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration’s decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
