Trump Says US 'Talking to Iran' and 'Doing Very Well,' Taps Stephen Miller as Chief of Staff
Key Takeaways
- •President Trump stated that the United States is in direct communication with Iran and that the engagement is progressing well.
- •Stephen Miller was named chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, who had held the position since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
- •Crude oil saw late-day bids that the report attributed almost certainly to fears of escalation over the weekend, given Iran's OPEC membership and its border on the Strait of Hormuz.
- •Separate reports indicated that Iran's military doctrine is moving toward aggression under orders from its commander in chief, and that recent Russia-Iran contacts followed a US request.
- •Neither Trump nor the reports specified the timing, format, or substance of the contacts with Tehran, making official readouts from either government the key next signal.
President Donald Trump said the United States is in direct contact with Iran and that the engagement is going well, while also confirming a change at the top of his White House staff.
“We are talking to Iran,” Trump said, adding: “We are doing very well with Iran.”
On the staffing front, Trump said: “I want Stephen Miller to run things well as chief of staff. Stephen gets it, he'll do a great job. I wanted to make a change.”
The chief of staff serves as the president's top aide, coordinating White House operations and shaping the flow of information and access to the Oval Office.
It remains unclear whether Susie Wiles resigned from the chief of staff role or whether Trump moved to replace her, with the President describing the move only as a change he “wanted to make.” Wiles, a veteran Republican strategist who co-managed Trump's 2024 campaign, had held the position since Trump returned to office in January 2025. Miller, a longtime Trump adviser who served as a senior aide during the first Trump administration, has been serving as deputy chief of staff for policy.
Trump's comments offered little additional signal on Iran, but crude oil saw some late-day bids in trading — a move the report attributed almost certainly to fears of escalation over the weekend. Iran is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and borders the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world's oil passes.
Separately, SNN reported that Iran's military doctrine is moving toward aggression, under orders from the country's commander in chief. Another report indicated that recent contacts between Russia and Iran followed a request from the United States.
Washington and Tehran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980, and indications of direct communication between the two governments have historically drawn close attention. Neither Trump nor the reports specified the timing, format, or substance of the contacts with Tehran, leaving official readouts from either government as the clearest next signal to watch.
This article is based on reporting by investingLive, published Friday, November 6.
