Trump, Boasting ‘We’ Have Control Over Iranian Airspace, Demands ‘Unconditional Surrender’ of Islamic Republic

‘Our patience is wearing thin,’ the president says. ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter.’

Stringer/Getty Images
Smoke rises after a reported Israeli strike on a building used by Islamic Republic of Iran News Network. Stringer/Getty Images

President Trump is calling on the Iranian regime to give up in its fight with Israel in a series of stunning social media posts. “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Mr. Trump demanded of the Islamic Republic on his Truth Social platform Tuesday afternoon.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Mr. Trump said in another post. “He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!) at least not for now.”

Mr. Trump went on to say, “We don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Repeatedly using “we,” he also boasted of having control of the skies over Iran. Israel has said that its military has wiped out much of Iran’s air defenses and it can now strike at will from the air.

Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran last week with a stated goal of eliminating the regime’s nuclear weapons program.

Strikes have targeted nuclear sites across Iran but the Fordow uranium enrichment facility has not been destroyed. It is deep underground and it is believed it would take so-called bunker-buster bombs that only American B-2 stealth bombers can deliver to damage or destroy it.

Mr. Trump has previously publicly declined to involve American forces in direct attacks on Iran, but the new messaging appears to be softening that stance.

Hours earlier, Mr. Trump posted what appeared to be an instant message from the American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who told Mr. Trump that he should listen only to God’s voice in his decisions related to the conflict.

“I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else’s,” Mr. Huckabee’s message said.

Mr. Huckabee’s lengthy message ended with, “You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU! It is my honor to serve you!”

Meanwhile, Russia reportedly doesn’t plan to offer any defensive assistance to the Iranian regime despite the new threats from Mr. Trump. Iran — a key ally of Moscow in the region — has not asked for help, but Moscow does not appear poised to step in if requested, a person close to the Kremlin tells Bloomberg.

“Russia, when it comes to Iran, must weigh the possibility of a clash with Israel and the United States, so saving Iran is obviously not worth it,” an analyst of Russia-Iran relations, Nikita Smagin, told the New York Times. “For Russia, this is just a fact.”

In January, Russia and Iran signed a 20-year strategic partnership that included joint military drills, but the pact does not include a mutual defense clause.


The New York Sun

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