World

Trump Admits Killing of Iranian Leaders 'Went Too Far'

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•3 min read

Donald Trump acknowledged the US military campaign against Iran went too far in eliminating its leaders, complicating diplomatic talks to end the ongoing war.

Key Facts

Donald Trump mengakui AS mungkin "kelewatan" (gone too far) dalam menyingkirkan para pemimpin Iran, dalam kampanye di Youngstown, Ohio, Senin (12/10/2026).
Trump menyebut Washington kini kesulitan menemukan lawan negosiasi: "We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don't know who the hell we're dealing with anymore."
Dalam kampanye di Bullhead City, Arizona, Rabu (14/10/2026), Trump merinci berlapisnya kepemimpinan Iran yang habis diserang: level pertama, kedua, hingga ketiga pimpinan Iran tewas beruntun.
Serangan pembuka AS-Israel pada 28 Februari 2026 menewaskan Pemimpin Tertinggi Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dan melukai putranya, Mojtaba Khamenei, yang kemudian menjadi pemimpin tertinggi baru.
Wakil Presiden JD Vance sebelumnya mengatakan kepada Reuters bahwa Washington tidak lagi tahu siapa pemegang kekuasaan sebenarnya di Teheran.
Syarat gencatan senjata AS tetap sama: Teheran harus memangkas tajam program pengayaan nuklirnya.

Admission at Ohio Campaign Rally

US (United States) President Donald Trump made a surprising admission during a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday (10/12/2026). He stated that his military campaign against Iran may have 'gone too far' in eliminating the country's leaders.

'We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don't know who the hell we're dealing with anymore,' Trump told his supporters, as reported by the Daily Express.

The admission came nearly eight months after the US and Israel launched opening strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026. The strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and wounded his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who subsequently rose to become Iran's new supreme leader.

Struggle to Find Negotiating Partners

Trump reasoned that the depletion of Iranian leaders has made it difficult for Washington to end the war, as there is no one left to negotiate with. 'Nobody wants to be the president of Iran,' he said, noting that prospective Iranian leaders are now reluctant to step forward.

During a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday (10/14/2026), Trump detailed the multiple tiers of Iranian leadership that had vanished: 'Their first level leaders are gone. They picked a second level. Their second level leaders are gone. They picked a third level. Half of them are gone.'

Trump even claimed that Iranian officials asked him to promise not to kill any more of their leaders. 'They made me promise not to take out any more, and I did. I promised them,' he said.

The diplomatic confusion was also acknowledged by Vice President JD Vance. Earlier this October, Vance told Reuters that US officials are struggling to verify who truly holds power in Tehran and how decisions are made. Vance emphasized that the ceasefire conditions remain unchanged: Iran must drastically curtail its nuclear enrichment program.

Not a Full Apology

Although Trump uttered the words 'I'm sorry', the context was not an official apology for the war to the Iranian people. His remarks were rather an expression of regret over unforeseen consequences: the eradication of senior officials leaving diplomatic negotiation channels blocked.

At the same rally, Trump reiterated his military claims: labeling Iran the 'number one sponsor of terror' that must not possess nuclear weapons, and asserting that all 159 Iranian warships are now 'resting beautifully at the bottom of the sea.'

The US-Iran war entering its eighth month continues to stoke global economic and political concerns, including rising fuel prices in the US ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.