'We were played': Iranians turn on Trump after his stunning embrace of their Ayatollah

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 18:38, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 18:43, 3 June 2026 In a shocking foreign policy U–turn that has sparked outrage at home and left citizens inside Iran utterly bewildered, President Donald Trump has switched his tune on Tehran's leadership seemingly overnight. Just days after launching fierce rhetorical attacks against Iran's newly appointed, reportedly disfigured Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump stunned the public by declaring, 'We seem to be getting along quite well.' Inside Iran, the whiplash was felt immediately, with citizens reacting in sheer disbelief and anger at how rapidly the American President shifted from maximum pressure to sudden courtship. Trump said on Wednesday he will 'probably meet with Iran's Ayatollah at some point.' Speaking in an interview on the 'Pod Force One' podcast, Trump said Iran's leader was involved in peace talks with the US, and the that 'Iran situation ... will be very good.' 'I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out,' Trump said of the Ayatollah. Three Iranians, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, told the Daily Mail they feel 'betrayed' by Trump, who they say had given them direct hope at a time when their government was killing protesters in the streets.  They say his pivot to negotiating with that same murderous government has left them questioning whether ordinary Iranians were ever part of his equation. Inside Iran, the whiplash was felt immediately, with citizens reacting in sheer disbelief and anger at how rapidly the American President shifted from maximum pressure to sudden courtship A protester holding a sign reading 'be the voice of Iran'. Members of the Iranian diaspora gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in London following recent anti–government protests in Iran, calling on President Donald Trump to help bring an end to the Islamic Republic Members of the Iranian community hold placards during a rally in Sydney, Australia  Mojtaba Khamenei has been in hiding since American and Israeli forces bombed his father 'Anyone who supports this regime and gives them authority is definitely an accomplice to evil. The real people of Iran feel like bargaining chips on the world stage. When will our suffering be over,' said one Iranian business owner. Trump's political worldview has always been anchored by a distinct fascination with absolute power – a long–standing affinity for strongmen that includes Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping. That extends to Iran's leaders, whose families he directly targeted.   'If you believe the stories, he's missing a lot of different parts,' Trump told The Post's Miranda Devine of the Supreme leader's son who is now in power. The 56–year–old has vanished from public view since that time, following surprise US–Israeli airstrikes. The attacks reportedly killed his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with other family members.  A second female Iranian living inside Tehran says they now fear even more for their lives, given that leaders like Khamenei will be legitimized once again. 'Was it all for nothing? So many lives were lost. We were willing to die for our freedom – but it turns out that we were played by both governments. All for a few barrels of cheaper oil and gas.' A second female Iranian living inside Tehran says they now fear even more for their lives, given that the government will be legitimized once again. 'Was it all for nothing? So many lives were lost. We were willing to die for our freedom – but it turns out that we were played by both governments. All for a few barrels of cheaper oil and gas.' A third college student in Iran says they feel as though their future has been robbed from them. 'They killed several fanatical leaders and left behind maniacal people with the same exact mentality and a thirst for revenge. They have blood lust for their own people, for acts they saw as defiance, as well as towards the US, for killing the religious leaders' family members,' they explained to the Daily Mail in Farsi. Smoke and fire rise from the site of US–Israeli airstrikes in Tehran A ​fragile ceasefire is in place in the war that began with US–Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. This video grab taken on April 3, 2026 shows thick plumes of smoke rising following airstrikes in Baharestan, in Iran's central Isfahan province Flights at Kuwait International Airport were suspended after an Iranian drone and missile attack damaged airport facilities  Iranian media said Tehran had not been in contact with Washington for several days, though Trump pushed back on Truth Social Wednesday: 'The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today.' Iran's Fars and Tasnim news agencies, both believed to be close to the Guard, reported that Tehran's negotiators have stopped communicating with ceasefire mediators, as tensions flared in Israel's separate but related fight against the Iranian–backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. A regional official involved in the mediation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, told AP that Iran had not communicated at all on Tuesday after saying that a ceasefire needed to be enforced in Lebanon for negotiations to continue. Trump dismissed the claims on Truth Social, writing: 'Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous.' Last week, Iran and the US signaled progress towards a tentative initial agreement to halt the war and reopen the strait, but the two sides have yet to sign off on the deal, which would leave more complex negotiations for later. Since mid–March, Trump has repeatedly claimed he is close to a deal, with stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons his stated top priority.  Iran regularly denies developing a nuclear bomb, saying its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.