President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender as U.S. officials indicated that all options in Tehran’s war with Israel remain on the table.
Trump issued a series of warnings to Iran, calling Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an “easy target” and saying that America’s “patience is wearing thin.”
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. 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!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
In a one-line follow-up post, Trump wrote in all caps: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”
Trump “vetoes” plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” said one of the sources, a senior US administration official.
The officials, in speaking on condition of anonymity, said top US officials have been in constant communication with Israeli officials in the days since Israel launched a massive attack on Iran in a bid to halt its nuclear program.
They said the Israelis reported that they had an opportunity to kill the top Iranian leader, but Trump waved them off the plan. The officials would not say whether Trump himself delivered the message. However, the US President has been in frequent communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Will Trump hit Iran’s facility with bunker-buster bombs?
Sources suggest the most probable U.S. military action would involve American-made bunker-buster bombs targeting Iran’s deeply buried uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. These specialized munitions are capable of penetrating depths beyond the reach of bombs available to the Israeli air force.
The New York Times also reported that Trump could authorize the deployment of U.S. aerial refueling aircraft, which would extend the range and duration of Israeli fighter jet missions.
U.S. officials believe any such action would aim to dismantle or severely curtail Iran’s nuclear energy program. However, President Trump’s specific remarks concerning Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei raise questions about the potential consideration of assassination as an extreme measure by the U.S. government.
Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. Israel’s defense minister said the country plans on striking “very significant targets in Tehran.” Early Wednesday local time, explosions from incoming Iranian missiles were reported over Tel Aviv.