President Donald Trump significantly intensifed his rhetoric against Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday, stating via social media that the United States is aware of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s whereabouts but has no intention of killing him “for now.”
In another post, Trump seemed to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” as he raised questions regarding whether the U.S. would join Israel in targeting Tehran’s leaders and nuclear sites.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but he is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” He added, “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!”
Shortly after, Trump issued another message simply stating: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Trump returned early from the G7 summit in Canada as tensions escalated between Iran and Israel, a key U.S. ally, and was scheduled to meet with top officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday.
So far, Trump has emphasized that the U.S. will not intervene in the conflict and mentioned that Iran could still accept a deal to end its nuclear program that he proposed prior to Israel’s strikes.
However, Trump has increasingly indicated that Washington’s involvement might be on the horizon. On Tuesday, he asserted that “we” have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” praising the use of U.S.-made weaponry without directly referencing Israel, although Israel had made a similar claim earlier.
While returning from Canada, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wanted “a real end, not a ceasefire” to the Iran-Israel conflict, warning that he was “not in too much of a mood to negotiate.”
