Trump says he would be open to meeting Iran's supreme leader

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would be open to meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if the two sides reach a peace deal.

"I don't want to meet. But if I did meet, I'd be honored to meet him. I'd like to see if we make a deal, but if we make a deal, it's possible that I would meet him. I'd be okay with it," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"I would say I'm not his favorite person, but with that being said, he's probably a professional," Trump said. "In some circles he has a very good reputation, actually."

Asked if such a meeting could happen in the U.S., Trump said: "I haven't really heard too much about it. I didn't suggest it, but some people have suggested it."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that he believes Iran's new supreme leader is alive and is "increasingly engaging" in the ongoing U.S.-Iran talks.

"I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level, although all of his communications have been in writing and through intermediaries," Rubio told lawmakers at a Senate hearing.