President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” to the United States.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday morning.
“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’ Thank you for your attention to this matter,’” the president added.
Trump’s demand for Iran to surrender comes six days after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in collaboration with Israel.
The U.S. and Israel have struck hundreds of military targets in Iran since the operation began, and killed multiple top Iranian officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Trump’s position on Iran “the right and only approach to end this Iranian nightmare.”
The Iranian regime “has been pursuing nuclear weapons, funding terrorist proxies, building thousands of ballistic missiles with the hope of one day reaching America, and has so much American blood on its hands,” Graham wrote on X.
Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran has become a major backer of radical Islamic terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah. For 47 years, Khamenei ruled Iran through an oppressive regime operating under Sharia Law.
At the end of December and into January, thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest Iran’s failing economy and the regime’s brutality. The regime reportedly moved quickly to use lethal force against protesters, killing thousands. An official death count is unknown due to regime-imposed internet blackouts, but estimates range from 7,000 to over 30,000.
Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. The U.S. conducted targeted strikes against three key Iranian nuclear facilities last June, but aerial photos reported by Reuters showed Iran was working to rebuild its nuclear facilities.
The U.S. sought to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran over its nuclear program and missile capabilities, but no deal was reached.
Iran and its proxies have retaliated against the U.S., Israel, and U.S. partners in the region since the start of Operation Epic Fury, including striking U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Six U.S. service members have been killed since the operation began.
Iran’s ability to respond to the joint attack appears to be declining, Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told press Thursday.
“If I just look back over the last 24 hours of the operation compared to where we were to start, ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since Day One. Drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one,” he said, adding that the U.S. remains “vigilant.”
The U.S. has targeted Iran’s Navy and sank an Iranian warship earlier this week.
“We’re now up over 30 ships” struck, the commander said, “and in just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier.”
Trump told CNN’s Dana Bash on Friday that the operation has “neutered” Iran and that it is “not the same country it was a week ago.”
When asked about finding new leadership in Iran, Trump said, “It’s gonna work very easily.”
