Trump threatens Iran’s leader, demands ‘unconditional surrender’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that he is an “easy target” and “our patience is wearing thin,” before demanding Tehran surrender in its escalating conflict with Israel.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” he wrote after declaring “total control” over Iran’s airspace.

“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”

Trump in a subsequent post made clear what he does want from Iran: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

The Trump administration has insisted that the U.S. is not directly involved in what Israel called a preemptive strike against Iran on Friday, which kicked off five days of missile fire between the two regional powers.

But Trump’s latest comments suggest the U.S. is now at least willing to threaten direct military intervention as it backs Israel’s effort to bring Tehran to heel.

Trump met in the Situation Room on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Israel-Iran conflict with his top national security advisors, two White House officials told NBC News.

The U.S. president’s threat against Khamenei came two days after news outlets reported that Trump had vetoed a plan by Israel to assassinate the ayatollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday downplayed his reported disagreement with Trump over Khamenei, saying, “I wouldn’t rush to conclusions.”

The New York Times reported Monday that Trump is weighing whether to help Israel destroy Iran’s underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, which could only be accomplished with the U.S.’ biggest “bunker buster” bomb.

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on that report, or on other questions about the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict.

U.S. stocks slid Tuesday afternoon as the geopolitical tensions mounted. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 300 points, or 0.7%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.8% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.9%.

Crude oil futures jumped more than 4.5% to above $75 per barrel around 2:45 p.m. ET.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, is moving more warships and another aircraft carrier to the Middle East, NBC reported. The U.S. previously deployed military assets to the region to help Israel shoot down Iranian missiles and projectiles, according to NBC.

Trump teed up Tuesday’s threat against Khamenei with an earlier social media post declaring, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.”

Tehran “had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff,'” Trump wrote.

“Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”

On Monday, Trump abruptly returned to Washington, D.C., from Canada, where he had traveled for a meeting of the Group of Seven nations.

The leader of one of those nations, French President Emmanuel Macron, had suggested in Alberta that the U.S. would be seeking a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Trump swiftly rebuked Macron online, calling him “publicity seeking” and denying that he had left the G7 summit in search of a ceasefire.

“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire,” Trump wrote. “Stay Tuned!”

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