A president sitting across from a reporter chose his words carefully: the end of a war that began with the killing of a supreme leader will be a shared matter with an ally, yet the final word rests with him alone. Beneath that careful phrasing lies a familiar human pattern, in which nations that have struck first must still find their way to an ending they can name. Iran, reeling from the loss of Ali Khamenei, now faces the question of who will lead it, and the answer remains unsettled as the bombardment continues. Whether the timeline sketched in Washington of four to six weeks will hold, or
Trump Says Decision to End Iran War Is 'Mutual' With Netanyahu, Though He Holds Final Say
The US-Israeli strike campaign killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and involved extensive strikes on military, missile, and nuclear-related sites.
"I think it's mutual ... a little bit."
Mark
Trump called the decision to end the war "mutual." Is that a real shared decision?
Mimi
He said "a little bit," and then added that he'll decide at the right time. The coordination with Netanyahu is described as close, but the final say is his.
Luke
Worth noting that's one interview, and the "mutual" label is Trump's own. Nothing in the reporting shows how Netanyahu sees it.
Mark
He also said Iran was going to destroy Israel. What backs that up?
Mimi
In this account, nothing beyond his statement. It's his justification for the campaign.
Luke
Right. It's an assertion, not a finding. The piece doesn't offer evidence either way.
Mark
What about the timeline?
Mimi
Karoline Leavitt said Friday the administration expects four to six weeks, depending on conditions on the ground. Trump himself hasn't named a date.
Luke
And "expects" is a forecast with a caveat built in. It isn't a commitment.
Mark
And Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mimi
Iranian state media reported his selection by the Assembly of Experts. Trump said "We'll see what happens," but earlier told ABC a new leader wouldn't "last long" without Washington's approval.
Luke
Keep in mind the selection is reported by Iranian state media, and we have no independent confirmation here. Also unknown is what Trump's warning would mean in practice.
Le Pouls
- Trump calls the decision to end the Iran war 'mutual' with Netanyahu, yet makes clear he will make the final call.
- The war that began Feb. 28 with US-Israeli strikes killing Ali Khamenei keeps grinding through Iran's military, missile, and nuclear sites.
- Iranian state media says the Assembly of Experts has chosen Mojtaba Khamenei as successor, and Trump refuses to say more than 'We'll see what happens.'
- Trump warns that Iran's next leader will not 'last long' without Washington's approval, sharpening the stakes of any succession.
- The White House expects the conflict to run four to six weeks, but Trump has committed to no fixed timeline and the end remains unmarked.
A president sitting across from a reporter chose his words carefully: the end of a war that began with the killing of a supreme leader will be a shared matter with an ally, yet the final word rests with him alone. Beneath that careful phrasing lies a familiar human pattern, in which nations that have struck first must still find their way to an ending they can name. Iran, reeling from the loss of Ali Khamenei, now faces the question of who will lead it, and the answer remains unsettled as the bombardment continues. Whether the timeline sketched in Washington of four to six weeks will hold, or dissolve into something longer and harder to read, is a question history has rarely answered on schedule.
In an interview with The Times of Israel on Sunday, President Donald Trump was asked who would decide when the war with Iran ends. He answered that it was mutual with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that the two had been talking and that he would make the decision at the right time. His wording, however, made clear that the final authority rests with him, even as he stressed the close coordination between Washington and Jerusalem.
The war began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a coordinated strike that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, American and Israeli forces have struck Iran's military infrastructure, missile systems, and nuclear-related facilities. Trump defended the campaign by claiming Iran was going to destroy Israel, a characterization the reporting does not independently support.
The same day, Iranian state media reported that the Assembly of Experts had chosen Mojtaba Khamenei, the slain leader's son, as the next supreme leader. Trump declined to elaborate, saying only, "We'll see what happens." Earlier, in an ABC News interview, he had been sharper, warning that the new leader would not last long without Washington's approval.
The White House expects the war to last four to six weeks, depending on conditions on the ground, but Trump has not committed to any timeline. What comes next depends on how Washington answers the succession and whether that expectation holds as the strikes continue.
Asked in an interview with The Times of Israel who would decide when the war with Iran ends, President Donald Trump gave an answer that was part reassurance and part reservation. "I think it's mutual ... a little bit," he said. "We've been talking. I'll make a decision at the right time, but everything's going to be taken into account." The interview took place Sunday.
The framing was of a joint decision between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but Trump's own wording left little doubt about where the authority sits. He suggested Netanyahu will have input while the final call rests with him. He stressed the close coordination between Washington and Jerusalem as the conflict goes on.
Trump also defended the campaign in broad terms. "Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it," he said. "We've worked together. We've destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel." The source does not detail the basis for that claim about Iran's intentions; it is Trump's characterization.
The war began Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched a coordinated strike that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. That opening blow sharply escalated a long-simmering confrontation with the Islamic Republic. Since then, U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out extensive strikes on Iran's military infrastructure, its missile systems, and facilities tied to its nuclear program.
One question Trump brushed aside was whether Israel could keep fighting even if the United States halted its own operations. He declined to speculate and said only, "I don't think it's going to be necessary."
He has not committed to a timeline. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came closest on Friday, saying the administration expects the war to last roughly four to six weeks, depending on conditions on the ground.
The interview came shortly after Iranian state media reported that the country's Assembly of Experts had chosen Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain supreme leader, as Iran's next leader. Asked about that reported elevation, Trump would not elaborate. "We'll see what happens," he said.
Earlier Sunday he had been more pointed. In an interview with ABC News, Trump said Iran's next leader would not "last long" if he lacked approval from Washington. He warned that any new leadership would face consequences if it challenged U.S. authority.
What to watch now is how Washington responds to Mojtaba Khamenei's reported succession, and whether the four-to-six-week expectation holds as the strikes continue.
Citations marquantes
I'll make a decision at the right time, but everything's going to be taken into account.— President Donald Trump, to The Times of Israel
Iran's next leader would not "last long" without Washington's approval.— Trump, paraphrased from ABC News interview
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