Trump Demands Unconditional Surrender from Iran
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, president of the United States, said Friday that he will accept nothing less than “unconditional surrender” from Iran as tensions rise following ongoing US and Israeli military strikes.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared: “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender.”
He added that once Iran accepts surrender and selects a leader considered acceptable by Washington and its allies, the US and its partners would work to rebuild the country’s economy and stability.
Call for a New Iranian Leader
Trump later spoke in an interview with CNN, where he claimed Iran’s pre-war leadership had already been weakened. He also expressed confidence that a new leader could emerge quickly.
Furthermore, Trump said he would not oppose a religious figure leading the country.
“I deal with many religious leaders and they are fantastic,” he said, explaining that the key requirement is a leader who acts fairly and maintains good relations with the United States, Israel, and other regional partners.
However, when asked whether he wants Iran to become a democratic state, Trump said his main concern is having a leader who governs fairly and cooperates with US allies.
Conflict Escalates Across the Region
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have intensified since the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran last Saturday. The attacks reportedly killed more than 1,000 people, including Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, along with senior military officials and more than 150 schoolgirls, according to reports cited in the conflict coverage.
In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military bases, diplomatic facilities, and several Israeli cities. The exchanges have continued to escalate in recent days.
US Signals Long-Term Military Commitment
Amid the growing conflict, Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, said Iran had misjudged Washington’s ability to sustain military operations.
He warned that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had made a serious miscalculation if it believed the United States could not maintain its campaign.
Hegseth stressed that the US possesses sufficient offensive and defensive weapons to continue the operation for as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.
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