February 28, 2026 / 9:14 PM EST / CBS News
President Trump told CBS News on Saturday evening that he believes U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been effective and could open a path to diplomacy.
“Much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously,” Mr. Trump said in a phone interview when asked about the prospects for a diplomatic solution. He described Saturday’s strikes as “a great day for this country, a great day for the world.”
Earlier, the president announced that Khamenei — who had been Iran’s supreme leader for nearly 37 years — was killed in the strikes. Sources told CBS News that roughly 40 Iranian officials were killed in the U.S.-Israel operation.
Mr. Trump said “there are some good candidates” to lead Iran after Khamenei’s death but did not provide names or further detail.
After consultations with U.S. officials and world leaders throughout the day, the president said he is closely monitoring Iran’s regional response. Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel and carried out attacks on U.S. allies elsewhere in the Middle East. “It’s what we expected,” he said, adding that the retaliatory strikes so far have been less severe than the U.S. and its allies anticipated. “We thought it’d be double,” he said, while noting the situation remains fluid.
U.S. Central Command reported no U.S. deaths or injuries in the operation inside Iran. In Israel, officials reported one person killed and dozens injured in retaliatory strikes.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans broadly backed the president’s actions, while some Democratic leaders called for more information. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Mr. Trump to provide “Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”
When asked whether he wants to work with Congress on Iran-related matters, Mr. Trump said, “I always want to work with Congress. Always. I’ve always worked with Congress.”
Near the end of the interview, Mr. Trump again praised the strikes as successful and declined to say whether he would characterize U.S. combat operations in Iran as a “war.” He said his focus remains on eliminating threats to the United States.