It’s safe to say that the U.S., led by President Donald Trump, and Israel’s attack on Iran has sent shockwaves around the world. It will not be an exaggeration to term this conflict a very sensitive one, which might even become a gateway to a bigger conflict.
The attacks also caused the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. This was an unprecedented move, and when asked for comments regarding this matter, Trump had some interesting things to say.
ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl talked with the president on the night of Sunday, March 1, and disclosed their conversation on social media platform X. In a post, Karl wrote, “In another phone call this evening, President Trump told me this about the death of Ayatollah Khamenei: ‘I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first.’”
In another phone call this evening, President Trump told me this about the death of Ayatollah Khamenei:
“I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first.”
That’s a reference to what US intelligence believes was a plot to kill Trump in 2024.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) March 2, 2026
This referred to an assassination plot against Trump in 2024.
Karl also wrote about another conversation he had with Trump on who might get elected as the next leader of Iran. “President Trump told me tonight the U.S. had identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the initial attack.”
He further stated, “’The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates,’ Trump told me. ‘It’s not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead’.”
Karl disclosed a lot of important information, specifically about how long the war is expected to last. The longer it is dragged on, the more people are expected to die. The war has already claimed three lives and injured several. Trump also warned that there could be more casualties in the future.
I talked to the president over the phone a short while ago and asked him how long US military operations against Iran would go on.
JK: How long do you think this will last?
Trump: “As long as we want it to, actually. But it’s done such damage already. It’s like — they are…
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) February 28, 2026
During their conversation, when Karl asked Trump, “How long do you think this will last?” the president’s answer was simply, “As long as we want it to, actually. But it’s done such damage already. It’s like — they are incapacitated, essentially.”
Karl further questioned, “What do you think the next leadership looks like? Have you identified anybody?” To this, Trump vaguely replied, “Yes. We have a very good idea.”
Farhad Shakeri was arrested in November 2024 for plotting to kill Trump. His attack was thought to be an answer to the 2020 drone strike that Trump ordered against Iran.
At the time, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated in a statement, “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump.”
Two New Yorkers were also arrested for being involved in this plan. They were charged with murder-for-hire, as Shakeri contacted them to kill activist Masih Alinejad as well.
