WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his rhetoric against Iran’s supreme leader Tuesday, saying on social media that the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located but will not kill him “for now”.
In another post, Trump also appeared to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” as he fueled questions about whether the United States would join Israel’s attacks on Tehran’s leadership and nuclear facilities. “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,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “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!” said Trump. Minutes later the US president followed up with another message simply saying: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Trump flew back early from the G7 summit in Canada late Monday as the conflict between Iran and key US ally Israel escalated, and was set to meet top officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday. Trump has given mounting signals that Washington’s intervention in some form may now be imminent.
Trump said Tuesday that “we” have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” hailing the use of US-made weaponry without explicitly mentioning Israel. Israel, the closest US ally in the Middle East, had recently made a similar claim.
President Trump, speaking separately to reporters aboard Air Force One as he left the G7 summit, said he was looking for “a real end” to the conflict, rather than a temporary ceasefire. “I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire… we’re looking for better than a ceasefire,” Trump said, fueling speculation over Washington’s next steps in the region. Trump said that he wanted a “complete give-up” by Iran in return for peace, without elaborating on the outcome he seeks. “I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire,” he told reporters after cutting short his attendance at a Group of Seven summit in Canada.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushed back against the idea that the comments hinted at military intervention. “There is nothing the president said that suggests he’s about to get involved in this conflict. The American leader is committed to peace and de-escalation in the Middle East.” Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Starmer said he has “no doubt” about Trump’s intentions after spending time with him at a leaders’ dinner on Monday evening. When asked if the US would assist Israel in military action against Iran, Starmer said: “I don’t think anything the president has said here or elsewhere suggests that.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “deeply worried” by Israel’s military action against Iran, as China also accused US leader Donald Trump of “pouring oil” on the mounting conflict. China’s President Xi Jinping called for de-escalation of the conflict “as soon as possible” during a meeting with Uzbekistan´s President in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, state media reported.
“Israel launching military action against Iran has caused a sudden escalation in tension in the Middle East, China is deeply worried about this,” Xi said, according to Xinhua. “We oppose any act that infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries.” China accused Trump of “pouring oil” on the conflict. “Making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict,” said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. “The Chinese side calls on all relevant parties, especially countries with special influence on Israel, to shoulder their responsibilities, take immediate measures to de-escalate tensions, and prevent the conflict from expanding and spreading.”
Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the coming days and they will discuss both bilateral issues and the escalation in the Middle East. Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced continued Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal and said a solution to the conflict over Tehran’s nuclear programme could only be found through diplomacy. A ministry statement posted on Telegram noted Iran’s “clear statements” on its commitment to adhere to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its willingness to meet with U.S. representatives.
While addressing the European Parliament, Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned Israel’s “attacks” on Iran threatened to dangerously escalate tensions in the “region and beyond”.
In another development, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was against military action against Iran that could lead to regime change and potential chaos, calling for a ceasefire with a return to negotiations over its nuclear programme. Speaking to reporters, Macron said, “We don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. But the biggest error would be to use military strikes to change the regime because it would then be chaos.”
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has urged an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Iran and Israel. According to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty stressed during the phone calls the importance of a return to negotiations as the only way to reach a sustainable agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Similarly, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, has warned of “uncalculated and reckless steps” that could spill out beyond the borders of Iran and Israel. In a phone call with Qatar’s emir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the biggest threat” to the Middle East region, his office said. Erdogan said that he “will continue his efforts to end the spiral of violence, and that Netanyahu has shown once again that he is the biggest threat to the security of the region,” according to the presidency.
US Vice President JD Vance said in a post on X that Trump “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment”.
Meanwhile, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi urged residents of the major Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv to evacuate, warning of imminent “punitive” attacks. “Punitive operations will be carried out soon,” Mousavi said in a video statement carried by state TV on the fifth day of the deadly confrontation triggered by Israeli air raid on Friday. He added that previous attacks on Israel have so far only been for “deterrence” purposes. Referring to Israel, Mousavi said that “residents of the occupied territories, especially Tel Aviv and Haifa, are strongly urged to leave these areas for the sake of their lives”. Mousavi told Israelis not to “fall victim” to “animalistic desires” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Tehran blames for the escalation. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem shortly after sirens sounded in many parts of Israel warning of incoming missiles, with the military warning of another barrage in the afternoon.
Israeli police reported that debris fell in the central Tel Aviv area and the fire brigade said it was tackling a blaze. Iranian state television said the Tel Aviv headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was among the Revolutionary Guards’ targets. Israel’s military said it had intercepted “most” of a fresh barrage of missiles fired from Iran on Tuesday after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and northern parts of the country. In the early evening, residents in the coastal hub of Tel Aviv and the north were urged to seek shelter before being told around 20 minutes later that it was “now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas”, according to a military statement.
Iran launched a missile attack on the Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, according to Iranian news agency Tasnim on June 17. Video footage emerged online showing smoke near the Israeli intelligence agency’s headquarters following the reported strike. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps also targeted the Israeli military intelligence base “Glilot” in a Tel Aviv suburb, according to Iranian television channel SNN.
Israel’s medical emergency agency Magen David Adom said that four people were injured “while seeking shelter”. Earlier on Tuesday, AFP journalists said loud booms were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem after air raid sirens sounded in several parts of the country. In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli police reported that “missiles and shrapnel fell in the Tel Aviv area, causing material damage but no injuries.” Missiles struck Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva and Haifa overnight on Sunday-Monday.
On the other hand, loud blasts were heard Tuesday across Tehran, AFP journalists reported. The blasts were heard in north, west and central Tehran, according to the journalists. It was not immediately clear whether the blasts were the result of incoming Israeli strikes or Iranian air defence fire. Earlier, Israeli warplanes targeted dozens of missile launchers in western Iran and killed a senior commander, the military said, drawing retaliatory fire from the Islamic republic. The Israeli military said it killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in an overnight strike on a “command centre in the heart of Tehran”.
Israel also said it targeted multiple missile and drone sites in western Iran overnight and again later on Tuesday, with black-and-white footage showing some of them exploding.
Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the missile blitz that began Friday.
A new wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran — including hit on state television headquarters — prompted both sides to activate missile defence systems overnight.
Iranian media reported several explosions in the central city of Isfahan, home to a key nuclear facility. Residential areas in both countries have suffered, while foreign governments scrambled to evacuate their citizens. A cyberattack crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran’s main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported.
On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations in Tehran as the remaining residents rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies. Security checkpoints have been set up across Tehran, adding to the atmosphere of tension as authorities monitor movement in and out of key districts.
In a related development, there appears to have been “direct impacts” on the underground part of Iran’s Natanz nuclear site during Israel’s attacks, the UN’s atomic watchdog said. However, “based on continued analysis of high resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday’s attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz,” the UN body said on X. Natanz operates nearly 70 cascades of centrifuges at its two enrichment plants, one of which is underground. A cascade is a series of centrifuges.
Meanwhile, two oil tankers collided and caught fire on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, where electronic interference has surged during the conflict between Iran and Israel, but there were no injuries to crew or spillage reported. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was deploying “additional capabilities” to the Middle East, with a US aircraft carrier reportedly heading to the region.
