Share this @internewscast.com

Key Points
  • US President Donald Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.
  • Trump said there is no intention to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “for now”.
  • Iranian officials said 224 people have been killed, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed in the attacks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement read by a television presenter on Wednesday that his country will not accept US President Donald Trump’s call for an unconditional surrender.
In his first remarks since Friday, when he delivered a speech broadcast on state media after Israel began bombarding Iran, Khamenei said peace or war could not be imposed on the Islamic Republic.
“Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” he said.

“The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.”

Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran on Wednesday after Israeli warplanes bombed the city overnight, and a source said Trump was considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
Israel’s military said 50 Israeli jets had struck around 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles.
A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering a number of options, which included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran had conveyed to Washington that it would retaliate against the United States for any direct participation, its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said. He said he already saw the US as “complicit in what Israel is doing”.

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence says Iran is armed with the largest number of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. Iran has said its ballistic missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the US, Israel and other potential regional targets.

Trump warned on social media earlier on Wednesday that US patience was wearing thin. While he said there was no intention to kill Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “for now,” his comments suggested a more aggressive stance toward Iran as he weighs whether to deepen US involvement.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” he wrote on Truth Social. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now … Our patience is wearing thin.”
Three minutes later, Trump posted, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Trump’s sometimes contradictory and cryptic messaging about the conflict between close US ally Israel and longtime foe Iran has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the crisis.
A White House official said Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday after meeting with his national security team about the escalating Middle East conflict.

No further details regarding what was discussed during the call were made public.

The US is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three US officials told the Reuters news agency.
The US has so far only taken indirect actions in the current conflict with Iran, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel.

Khamenei’s main military and security advisers have been killed by Israeli strikes, hollowing out his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.

The strikes, which constitute the most dangerous security breach targeting Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have prompted the country’s cybersecurity command to ban officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported.

Ever since Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and triggered the Gaza war, Khamenei’s regional influence has waned as Israel has pounded Iran’s proxies – from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq. Iran’s close ally, Syria’s autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad, has been ousted.

Israel launched its air war, its largest ever on Iran, on Friday after saying it had concluded the Islamic Republic was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has pointed to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

Netanyahu has stressed that he will not back down until Iran’s nuclear development is disabled, while Trump says the Israeli assault could end if Iran agrees to strict curbs on enrichment.

Before Israel’s attack began, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
The IAEA said on Tuesday an Israeli strike directly hit the underground enrichment halls at the Natanz facility.
Israel says it now has control of Iranian airspace and intends to escalate the campaign in the coming days.
But Israel will struggle to deal a knock-out blow to deeply buried nuclear sites like Fordow, which is dug beneath a mountain, without the US joining the attack.
Iranian officials have reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed. Residents of both countries have been evacuated or fled.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Man Accused of Obstructing Pheobe Bishop Investigation

A 30-year-old man has been charged after allegedly interfering with police investigations…
Kanye West's website has been pulled from the internet.

Kanye West Denied Entry to Australia Due to Latest Song Release

The federal government has stripped controversial rapper Kanye West of his Australian…

Heavy Rain Leaves Thousands Without Power on NSW Central Coast

Approximately 30,000 households are experiencing power outages in Newcastle and the NSW…

Tony Burke Announces Cancellation of Kanye West’s Australian Visa Due to Controversial Hitler Song

US rapper Kanye West has had his Australian visa cancelled over a…
The vertical stabilisers of Qantas planes at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport, from the left: a Boeing B737-838 plane, registration VH-XZD; a Boeing B787-9 plane, registration VH-ZNE; and an Airbus A380-842 plane, registration VH-OQB. In the background on the left is a fourth Qantas plane, a Boeing B737-838, registration VH-XZH. In the far background is the international terminal.  In the foreground are navigational light structures at the northern end of the runway.  This image was taken from Nig

Qantas Targeted in Cyberattack: Data of Six Million Customers May Be At Risk

Millions of customers’ data may have been compromised in a cyberattack on…

How a Financial Choice Became My Lifeline After a Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Is super fairly providing for all Australians in retirement? With legislative changes…
Mobility scooter rider killed after being hit by truck in Melbourne

Tragic Accident: Mobility Scooter User Fatally Struck by Truck in Melbourne

An elderly mobility scooter rider has died after he was hit by…
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong —  who is in Washington this week for Quad talks between Australia, the United States, Japan and India

Trump Administration ‘Apologized’ for Delaying Meeting with Prime Minister

The Trump administration expressed regret over postponing a meeting with Prime Minister…

Filing Your Taxes Early? Here’s Why It Might Be Costly

As the new financial year dawns, many Australians are eagerly awaiting some…
While Tammy Hembrow, 29, has fled Australia for a luxurious family getaway, ex Matt Zukowski, 31, appeared to open his heart to new love following their split

Tammy Hembrow’s former partner Matt Zukowski accidentally reveals he’s ready to ‘date’ again – then quickly retracts his statement

While Tammy Hembrow has fled Australia for a luxurious family getaway, ex…
A leading accountancy group is calling for the GST to be broadened so older baby boomers in Australia end up paying more tax (pictured is a Sydney shopper)

Why Over Five Million Baby Boomers Might Face Higher Taxes Soon

Older baby boomers could soon pay more tax following a call from…
President Donald Trump said today that Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.

Trump Announces Israel’s 60-Day Ceasefire in Gaza, Calls on Hamas to Comply

President Donald Trump announced today that Israel has agreed to a 60-day…