Iran's Supreme Leader Warns Of ‘Serious Irreparable Harm' If U.S. Enters Conflict With Israel (Live)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned any U.S. involvement in its conflict with Israel will have 'serious irreparable consequences,' after President Donald Trump directly threatened him and demanded Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,' fueling speculation about U.S. military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while flying aboard Air Force One en route from ... More Calgary, Canada to Joint Base Andrews.
According to a statement delivered via Iranian state media, the Supreme Leader said his country 'stands firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace,' adding that Iran will 'not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,' warning any U.S. involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict will undoubtedly lead to 'serious irreparable harm.'
The Iranian leader also addressed president Trump's comments on Tuesday calling for Iran's 'uncondional surrender,' saying those who know his country's history 'know that Iranians do not answer well to the language of threats.'
Aerial attacks from both sides continued early on Wednesday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed Iran has launched more than 400 missiles and hundreds of drones since Friday.
White House officials told multiple outlets Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Tuesday after a meeting with national security advisors.
Unnamed U.S. officials cited by Axios said Trump was seriously considering entering the conflict by launching strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Trump warned on Truth Social earlier Tuesday: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' referring to Khamenei, who is increasingly isolated after Israel assassinated several of his top generals, adding Khamenei is 'safe' and 'we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' but said 'our patience is wearing thin.'
Tensions between Iran and Israel first erupted on Friday, when the Israel military carried out unilateral strikes against key nuclear facilities and killed several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. Netanyahu claimed Israel's attack was an act of self defense as the Iranian nuclear program posed 'a danger to Israel's very survival.' On Monday, Trump exited the G7 summit earlier than scheduled and flew back from Canada to Washington as tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, with the White House press secretary saying he left early 'because of what's going on in the Middle East.' Shortly before leaving the summit, Trump issued an ominous warning to residents of Tehran, Iran's capital, on Truth Social: 'Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON…Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' At the time, Trump did not specify why he called for an evacuation of the city of 10 million people, but when asked later, Trump said: 'I want people to be safe…That's always possible something could happen. I just want people to be safe.' The president spoke to reporters on board Air Force One on his return to Washington and said he wanted something better than a ceasefire 'An end. A real end, not a ceasefire, an end,' and signaled that a only complete 'give up' by Iran would be acceptable.
In a earlier post Trump, said: 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran...Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured stuff. Nobody does it better than the good ol' USA.' In a third post Tuesday morning, Trump called for an 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Trump has also warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel or assets, saying if that happens 'we'll come down so hard, it'd be gloves off...I think they know not to touch our troops.'
On Monday, Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One on the way back to the U.S. from the summit in Canada he wanted to see an end to Iran's nuclear program and said he's 'not too much in the mood to negotiate now.' Trump attacked French President Emmanuel Macron on Truth Social, describing him as 'publicity seeking' after he said Trump was flying out of the G7 summit early to work out a cease fire between Israel and Iran and 'then kick-start broader discussions.' Trump said Macron 'has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire,' and claimed it was something 'Much bigger than that.' Trump departed the G7 Summit early and returned to Washington on Monday night to 'attend to many important matters,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Shortly before he left Canada, the president told reporters Iran 'want to make a deal, and as soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something. But I have to leave here.' Fox News reported on Monday evening that Trump had asked his national security to be present in the Situation Room when he returns to the White House.
A U.S. official told reporters earlier on Monday Trump would not sign a draft statement of G7 leaders, which included a call for de-escalating the Israel-Iran conflict. The president eventually agreed to sign it after some changes were made to the statement's 'initial draft language,' according to the New York Times. The final statement notes: 'We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.' The statement affirms Israel's 'right to defend itself,' describes Iran as the 'principal source of regional instability and terror,' and notes 'Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.' It also calls for a resolution of the ongoing crisis and 'a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a cease fire in Gaza.'
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled he was open to talks resuming talks with the U.S. if Israel's strikes on Iran were halted. 'If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue. It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy,' he wrote. The post also attacked Netanyahu, calling him a 'war criminal.'
Lawmakers Make Bipartisan Push To Restrict Trump From Going To War With Iran (Forbes)
Iranian Missiles Cause 'Minor Damage' To US Embassy In Tel Aviv—Israel Targets Elite Quds Force HQ (Forbes)
Israel Attacks Iranian State TV During Live Broadcast (Forbes)
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New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Trump Says ‘Nobody Knows' His Plans on Iran
News ANalysis Smokes after Israeli airstrikes in Tehran on Tuesday. In Iran, Israel is carrying out the kind of broad and brazen attack that it long threatened but never dared to enact before. For nearly two decades, Israel avoided all-out war with its biggest enemies. It fought contained conflicts with Hamas, but ultimately allowed the group to retain power in Gaza. It maintained an uneasy calm with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, even as its fighters entrenched themselves in southern Lebanon. And despite planning a major assault on Iran, it limited its attacks to smaller, clandestine operations. Israel's massive, ongoing assault on Iran highlights an extraordinary shift in Israeli military doctrine since Hamas, Iran's Palestinian ally, attacked the country in October 2023. It is a change that has redrawn the power dynamics in the Middle East, unraveled Iran's regional alliance and enshrined Israel as the dominant military force in the region. Having given Hamas years to prepare for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel reversed course afterward to unleash one of the most destructive campaigns in recent warfare. It then assassinated most of Hezbollah's leadership and decimated large parts of southern Lebanon. Now, in Iran, it is carrying out the kind of broad and brazen attack that it long threatened but never dared to enact. 'We are changing the face of the Middle East,' said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel during a press briefing on Monday. 'And this could lead to far-reaching changes within Iran itself,' he added. For now, that second claim remains unproven. The Israeli military campaign has weakened Iran, but it has not yet destroyed the country's nuclear program or collapsed its government, and it may still fall short of both. The war could also devolve into an intractable quagmire with no exit strategy or offramp. Image Iranians lined up at gas stations in Tehran on Monday. Credit... Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Mr. Netanyahu's broader point is harder to contradict. Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel. Hezbollah's influence over Lebanon — let alone the danger it poses to Israelis — is much diminished. The government in Syria, a pillar of Iran's regional alliance, was overthrown last December, in part because Hezbollah could no longer come to its aid. These tectonic shifts also speak to a vast change within the Israeli psyche and strategic outlook since Hamas's attack in October 2023. For Israel's critics, the attack was the inevitable consequence of the country's blockade of Gaza, occupation of the West Bank, and failure to resolve the Palestinian conflict through diplomatic concessions. Many Israelis have drawn the opposite conclusion: They believe that the October attack — the deadliest in Israeli history — stemmed from Israel's failure to pre-emptively and decisively defeat its enemies. 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Israel's current approach in the Middle East echoes its strategic outlook in the early decades of its existence, when it often acted swiftly and decisively to remove threats on its borders. Credit... Israel Defense Forces, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 'As Egypt massed troops on our southern border, we did not wait to be surprised,' General Yadlin said. 'Now, we are reviving that doctrine.' Israel's new approach is the culmination of months of re-evaluation, during which the military's confidence — crushed by the failures of Oct. 7 — was gradually restored. While Israel's approach to Hamas was immediately wrathful, the country was initially wary of taking on Hezbollah and Iran. Mr. Netanyahu called off a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah in the first week of the war in 2023, amid fears that Israel would struggle to maintain a multi-front war against the Iran-led alliance. For nearly a year, Israel fought only a low-level border conflict with Hezbollah. 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CNN
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The Hill
32 minutes ago
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Haley says US ‘should not engage in regime change in Iran': ‘Stay focused'
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