As Israeli airstrikes continue to pummel Iran, all eyes are on U.S. President Donald Trump, who is reportedly considering whether to join the Israeli effort and take direct U.S. military action against Iran.
Trump has warned for months that Tehran could face military action if it doesn’t make a deal with the United States to end its nuclear program, but as recently as last week, the U.S. president maintained that he would prefer to solve the issue diplomatically and said he believed that such a deal was “close.”
However, that was before Israel unilaterally launched its military campaign against Iran on Friday, targeting the country’s nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and senior leadership, which upended nuclear negotiations. Now, five days into that campaign and with no signs that Israel intends to stop its attacks, it seems that Trump’s calculation may be changing.
On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social to warn Tehran’s 9.7 million residents to flee the city immediately. He also abruptly left the G-7 summit in Canada a day early, saying he was returning to Washington to discuss the conflict with his national security team. On Tuesday, he told reporters that he wants “a real end” to Iran’s nuclear program, and he called for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” on Truth Social.
He also seemed to suggest that the United States might consider assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at some point in the future. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
Read more in today’s World Brief: Trump Calls for Iran’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’.
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