Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected a call by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to unconditionally surrender amid the regime’s aerial war with Israel.
Earlier this week, Trump called for the “unconditional surrender” of Iran’s regime, led by Khamenei, as Israel launched a number of airstrikes against Iranian infrastructure, including its nuclear facilities, in the past five days. Iran has responded by firing hundreds of missiles at Israel.
Iranian state television also aired footage of Khamenei giving a statement that was read out by a TV anchor on Wednesday, including a warning to the United States that joining the Israeli strikes targeting his country will “result in irreparable damage for them.”
Khamenei’s remarks follow Trump’s post on Truth Social, in which the president wrote that the United States and Israel “know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding” before adding that “he is an easy target, but is safe there.”
“We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” the president added. “But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
“As we promised—we will continue to harm symbols of government and strike at the ayatollah regime everywhere,” he wrote.
Trump urged Tehran’s 10 million or so residents to evacuate earlier this week as he also departed early from the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington. While the president initially distanced the United States from the Israeli strikes on Iran, he has suggested greater U.S. involvement in the conflict in multiple social media posts and remarks to reporters.
The Iranian regime, Trump has also said, cannot have possession of a nuclear weapon, coming after Israeli officials have said that their intelligence shows that Tehran was enriching uranium to produce multiple nuclear weapons. Iran was given a deadline that expired last week to come to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.
But Iranian officials have warned that the United States shouldn’t get involved because it could lead to a significant conflict in the Middle East, saying that Iran has “very good relations” with nearby Arab countries.
Iran has “very good relations with Arab countries, and they are very cognizant of the fact that Israel has been trying to drag others into the war,” he said.
“We are sure our Arab countries hosting U.S. bases would not allow their territory to be used against their Muslim neighbors.”
Inside the United States, Trump also faces divisions among Republicans. Some GOP lawmakers and conservative commentators have urged Trump not to get involved in the Israel–Iran conflict, while others have pushed for the United States to strike Iran.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has been making the case that this is Trump’s moment to deliver a decisive blow against Iran. Graham called for Trump to “go all-in” in backing Israel and destroying Iran’s nuclear program during a Sunday CBS News interview.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said in a post on X that the United States should not get involved, writing that “foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction.”