President Trump asserted Monday that a former president privately expressed regret over not attacking Iran, specifically mentioning wishing he had carried out the strike that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking to reporters, Trump declined to name the ex-president, stating he didn't want to 'get him into trouble.' The claim targets four living predecessors: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.

Trump strongly implied the person was a Democrat, describing them as someone who 'happens to like me.' However, associates of all three Democratic former presidents immediately denied the claim, stating neither they nor their former bosses had spoken to Trump recently or expressed such sentiments. The denials came as Trump conceded he was 'shocked' by Iran's retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, calling the conflict 'a big chess game at a very high level.' He added the adversaries were 'smart, violent, vicious, and some very nice people.' This development highlights a potential rift within the Republican Party and raises questions about Trump's relationship with former leaders, though it carries no immediate market implications.