President Donald Trump speaks about Iran vs Israel war as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington.
(The Post News)- Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump has left the door open to military action against Iran, declaring the country “defenseless” and pushing for its “unconditional surrender” following a wave of Israeli airstrikes.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said, “I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do.” He claimed the United States now holds full control over Iran’s airspace, adding that Tehran lacks the capacity to defend itself. “They have no air defense whatsoever,” he said. “Totally captured.”
Trump’s comments come just days after Israeli jets reportedly destroyed Iran’s Internal Security Headquarters in Tehran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike, saying it was part of a wider campaign to “hit the Ayatollah regime wherever it may be.”
When asked if he gave Iran an ultimatum, Trump replied, “You could say so,” adding, “They know what’s happening – maybe you could call it the ‘ultimate’ ultimatum,” but declined to say what it was.
Iran’s response has been defiant. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly rejected Trump’s demands, accusing Washington of trying to impose peace through intimidation. “The Iranian nation will not capitulate to anyone in the face of coercion,” Khamenei said in a statement shared online.
Khamenei warned of “irreparable damage” if the United States chooses to get directly involved in the conflict. “The U.S. entering this matter is 100% to its own detriment,” he said in a televised address. “The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.”
Iran’s delegation to the United Nations echoed that stance, denying that any Iranian official sought negotiations under pressure. “Iran does not negotiate under duress,” the delegation posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Certainly not with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance.”
Despite initial denials of American involvement, Trump later seemed to celebrate Israel’s operation, calling it “one hell of a hit” and suggesting that it ended the confrontation, “at least for the night.” He also hinted that Iran had made overtures to negotiate but dismissed them as too little, too late. “It’s very late for talking,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned that American military support for Israel could trigger wider conflict. “Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region,” he told journalists.
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