Desk News || U.S President Donald Trump has said he was surprised by the massive public mourning for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, admitting that he had believed many Iranians disliked him. Trump’s remarks came after he observed the funeral ceremonies held in Tehran, where large crowds gathered to pay their final respects.  Speaking to Axios on Saturday, Trump said the scenes from Tehran’s Grand Mosalla challenged his previous perception of public opinion inside Iran. He claimed he was “shocked” to see so many people grieving, adding that he had assumed Iranians hated Khamenei, though he also suggested the displays of emotion “might be fake.”  Trump also asserted that Iran is eager to reach an agreement with the United States. According to him, both sides have informally agreed to pause discussions for one week to allow the funeral ceremonies to conclude, while refraining from launching new attacks during that period.  In the interview, Trump said the United States could have targeted Iran’s remaining leadership during the funeral gathering but chose not to do so in order to preserve the possibility of future negotiations.  The U.S. president also revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a meeting at the White House. Trump said the meeting could take place after his return from upcoming international engagements, describing relations between the two leaders as “very good.”  Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the United States’ 250th Independence Day and that both leaders agreed to meet in Washington in the near future. However, an Israeli official familiar with the matter indicated that scheduling constraints could push the meeting to the following week.