The Israel-Iran conflict further intensified on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump fanning the flames, issuing veiled threats at the Supreme Leader of Iran and demanding the “unconditional surrender” of the Islamic Republic.
Both parties traded fire for the sixth consecutive day, with Israel launching attacks at Tehran’s District 18 area, near the Mehrabad airport. Iran’s missile attacks hit several parts of Tel Aviv on the dawn of Wednesday, causing significant damage.
In a Truth Social post, the US president warned Iran that it had total control over the skies of Tehran and also information on the whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US officials have revealed that Trump had nixed a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assassinate Khamenei.
In apparent response to Trump’s comments, Khamenei posted on X, “…the battle begins.”
At a G7 summit in Canada, leaders including Trump had on Monday called for “de-escalation,” while also stressing that Israel, which is the sole but undeclared nuclear power in the Middle East, had “the right to defend itself” and that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, China accused Trump of “pouring oil” on the conflict, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the biggest threat to the security of the region.”
At least 224 people, including 70 women and children, have been killed in Iran since Israel launched a massive and unprovoked attack on the Islamic Republic on June 13. The attack also killed several of Iran’s highest military officials and senior nuclear scientists. Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks have wreaked havoc in central and northern Israel, killing at least 24.
