“Iran’s response less than expected, diplomacy now much easier” — Trump tells CBS News

Washington — U.S. President Donald Trump has declared the joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran a success and claimed that a diplomatic resolution with Tehran is now significantly more attainable following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a phone interview with CBS News on Saturday evening, Trump said that a diplomatic solution is “much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously — because they are getting beat up badly.” He praised the strikes as “a great day for this country, a great day for the world.”  (Axios)
Earlier, Trump had posted on Truth Social that Khamenei “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems,” and later warned Iran against further retaliation, writing: “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”  (RTÉ)
When pressed on who would lead Iran after Khamenei’s death, Trump said he knew “exactly who, but can’t say,” and added that there were “some good candidates” he would like to see lead the country. 
Barely an hour after the first missiles struck Iran, Trump made clear he hoped for regime change, telling the Iranian people in a video: “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny. This is the moment for action.”  (NPR)
Analysts at Chatham House cautioned, however, that the strikes appear aimed at far more than coercive diplomacy — Trump seemingly seeks to redefine the entire 47-year U.S.-Iran adversarial relationship and resolve it decisively, with unpredictable consequences for the region. 
Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdoğan warned that without space for diplomacy, the region risks being “dragged into a ring of fire.”Iran’s President Pezeshkian vowed that retaliation is Tehran’s “legitimate right and duty,” as the conflict continues to escalate.