Trump Implores Iran: ‘Surrender,’ Supreme Leader in Sights.
In his most forceful statement against Iran yet, perhaps in his two administrations, President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
It is unclear if that statement is calling for surrender to Israel or Trump’s long-called desire of Iran to give up its nuclear weapons aspirations, but the Trump also threatened Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly, saying he is in sight.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.
“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
That direct threat on the Iranian leader came shortly after Trump stopping short of saying there is full United States involvement in Israel’s claim to air superiority over Tehran.
Trump hailed Israel’s control of the Iranians skies to have been proverbially made in America.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” Trump wrote moments earlier on Truth Social. “Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.'”
“Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,” he added.
The statement is a poke at Iran amid tensions over nuclear talks and Iranian claims the U.S. is participating in Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, military leadership, and nuclear scientists.
Prominent Trump supporters, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and pundit Tucker Carlson have raised concerns about how far the president should go in backing Israel after vowing during his campaign to keep the U.S. out of expensive and endless wars.
In a Tuesday posting on X, Vance said he wanted to address “a lot of crazy stuff on social media” about Trump’s approach to Iran.
Vance made the case Trump has been consistent that “Iran cannot have uranium enrichment” and has said “repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways — the easy way or the ‘other’ way.”
“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance added. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.
“But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue.”
Residents of Iran’s capital were seen leaving the city and shops and the historic Grand Bazaar were closed Tuesday, the fifth day of the intensifying conflict started by Israel.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Trump after the Israeli attacks began and told the U.S. president that Moscow is ready to do what it can “to facilitate” a de-escalation.
Nebenzia also raised concerns about Israeli attacks causing a radiation leak the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran, as well as its threats to attack the underground Fordo facility and other nuclear sites.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healy said that the additional fighter aircraft the U.K. announced it was sending to the Middle East have begun arriving.
Healey told a defense conference in London that he is ensuring “force protection is now at its highest level” and said the move is to “protect our personnel, it’s to reassure our partners, and it’s to reinforce the urgent need for de-escalation.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced at the weekend that the U.K would be deploying more military aircraft including Typhoons and air-to-air refuelers to the Middle East. The secretary did not specify where the aircraft were being stationed.
NetBlocks, a group that tracks internet disruptions by nations, said it detected a reduction of internet access in Iran.
“Analysis of telemetry shows a significant reduction in internet traffic in Iran,” it said. “The incident comes amid an escalating conflict with Israel and is likely to limit the public’s ability to access information at a critical time.”
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