WASHINGTON — President Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “keep going” with airstrikes on Iran Wednesday after handing the regime in Tehran his “ultimate ultimatum” with a word of warning that it was “really late” to restart nuclear talks.
Trump repeated his demand for “unconditional surrender” by Iran without confirming any attack plans were in the works — wishing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei “good luck” and pronouncing him “totally defenseless” as Israel dominates Iran’s airspace after six days of attacks.
“Very simple — unconditional surrender,” Trump urged the ayatollah during a flagpole-raising event on the White House lawn.
“That means, ‘I’ve had it. I’ve had it. I give up, no more!’” the president told reporters.
“Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff that’s all over the place there. They had bad intentions.”
That appears to be at least one part of Trump’s “ultimate ultimatum” to Iran, as he’s cooled to the anti-American theocracy’s alleged outreach following Israel’s surprise offensive.
“I said it’s really late. You know? I said it’s very late to be talking,” the president noted, revealing that Iranian officials have sought a White House meeting after blowing through a 60-day deadline to reach a deal limiting its nuclear program.
At least publicly, Khamenei has rejected Trump’s demand that he concede defeat and a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry warned that “American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”
“The US President threatens us,” Khamenei wrote on X. “With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats”
“It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. What should the Iranian nation surrender to?” the ayatollah asked. “We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone.”
Asked about the ayatollah’s response, the president responded: “I say good luck.”
Trump has vacillated for days between wanting to agree to a deal and potentially joining Israel’s bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities — and appeared to do so again during a chat with journalists later in the Oval Office.
“I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change, especially with war. Things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other,” he said.
“Don’t forget, we haven’t been fighting. We add a certain amount of genius to everything, but we haven’t been fighting at all. Israel’s done a very good job today, but we’ll see what happens.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed in a congressional hearing earlier Wednesday that the Trump administration had reviewed “contingency plans” for the conflict.
“As President Trump said himself today, all options remain on the table,” echoed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.
Israel has asked the US to intervene to take out the Iranian Fordow nuclear facility buried deep in a mountain, as US military technology would have a good chance at eliminating it.
“We’re the only ones that have the capability to do it, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it — at all,” Trump told reporters about the possibility of the US taking out the site, adding that he’s “thinking about it.”
He remained open to possibly meeting with the Iranian delegation in DC, saying they reached out about coming to the White House, but noted that it’s difficult for them to leave given Tehran is under Israeli fire.
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The Israeli Air Force began conducting a new wave of airstrikes in western Iran later Wednesday, which was met with retaliatory missiles being launched from Tehran.
“The aircraft are striking operatives who are attempting to return and take munitions from the sites that were previously targeted. Our message to them is clear: If you try to restore the terror capabilities in the area, you will be targeted,” said IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently offered to mediate between Israel and Iran amid the escalating conflict — but Trump rejected the move.
“I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first. You can worry about this later’,” Trump said.
“That’s, you know, courageous but it’s not easy for them to do,” he added.
“They’re totally defenseless. They have no air defense whatsoever.”
Read the latest on the conflict between Israel and Iran
Trump praised the Iranian people and mentioned knowing many in New York.
“They can be difficult, but so can you… they’re smart people, and those people are getting the hell beaten out of them,” he said.
But the president said his patience “has already run out — that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
“They had 60 days… plenty of time, and they made a mistake — honestly they made a mistake. Their country is in ruins. So many people are dead who shouldn’t be dead. It’s a very sad thing,” Trump said.
He also brushed off concern from his populist movement’s base about a potentially prolonged US involvement in Iran that could — like prior engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria — drain the US Treasury, cost American lives and trigger years of regional turmoil and atrocities.
“We’re not looking for long-term war,” Trump said.
“I may have some people that are a little bit unhappy now, but I have some people that are very happy, and have people outside of the base that can’t believe that this is happening. They’re so happy,” Trump said.
“And there was a poll that just came out today, and my approval rating is the highest it’s ever been. All I’m doing is saying you can’t have a nuclear weapon. And I tried to do it nicely and on day 61 I said, ‘Let’s go,’ because we can’t let that happen.”
