Credit: Shealah Craighead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a hardline demand for Iran’s “complete surrender” and an “end, not a ceasefire” to its nuclear ambitions, as tensions rise over the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after abruptly exiting the G7 summit in Canada, Trump made it clear he supports joining Israel’s offensive against Iran if provoked.
“I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire,” he stated. “We want an end, a real end, not a ceasefire.”
Trump’s early departure from the summit came after refusing to sign a joint G7 statement calling for de-escalation.
He explained he left early for “obvious reasons” and dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s claims that he returned to Washington to negotiate a ceasefire as “publicity seeking” and inaccurate.
“The Israelis aren’t slowing up their barrage on Iran,” Trump emphasised. “You’re going to find out over the next two days. Nobody’s slowed up so far.”
Reports from Israeli outlet i24 News suggest the U.S. military is on standby, with Central Command reportedly prepared to join Israel’s strikes on Iran, pending Trump’s approval. However, internal divisions remain, with some senior officials opposing the move.
The Pentagon has deployed significant firepower to the region, including a carrier strike group, three destroyers, and the soon-to-arrive USS Nimitz in the Arabian Sea, signalling the U.S. is preparing for potential escalation.
Trump called for the “immediate evacuation of Tehran” and criticised Iran for not signing a nuclear deal with the U.S. before Israeli strikes began.
He branded the country “foolish” for failing to act sooner.
The Israel-Iran war, now in its fifth day, has intensified, with Israeli forces announcing the assassination of Iran’s wartime chief of staff—reportedly one of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s closest officials—just days after his predecessor was also killed in Israeli strikes.
Trump also dismissed the assessment of U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump countered. “I think they were very close to having it.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, hinted at new covert operations against Iran, suggesting upcoming military actions could outmatch Israel’s complex 2024 pager-bomb operation against Hezbollah.
“We’ve pulled off a number of surprises,” Leiter teased. “You’re going to see some surprises on Thursday night and Friday.”
As the region teeters on the brink of a broader war, both Israeli and U.S. officials appear to be preparing for what could be the most direct confrontation with Iran in years.
