Israel vs Iran: Trump demands Tehran’s “unconditional surrender”
18 June 08:23
The air confrontation between Iran and Israel continues for the sixth day in a row. On Wednesday, the two sides again launched another round of missile strikes, despite US President Donald Trump’ s public calls for Tehran to “surrender without conditions,” "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing Reuters.
The Israeli military reported two Iranian missile launches during Wednesday morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv, probably as a result of intercepting the targets. At the same time, Israel called on residents of one of the southwestern districts of Tehran to leave the territory in order to launch an air strike on military targets.
According to Iranian media reports, a university affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Khojir missile complex near the capital – previously attacked by Israelis in October – were hit.
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US involvement
Meanwhile, Washington is increasing its military presence in the region. According to Reuters, the US is deploying fighter jets and continuing to deploy existing forces. The U.S. military has not yet launched direct strikes, but is participating in Israel’s missile defense.
Against this background, Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Iran. In posts on Truth Social, he hinted that he knew the whereabouts of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, adding:
“We’re not going to take him out… at least not yet. But our patience is running out.”
Three minutes later, Trump tweeted:
“UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”.
At the same time, the US President does not rule out deeper intervention in the conflict. According to sources, he and his team are discussing the possibility of participating in strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. On Tuesday, Trump had a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and later held a meeting with the US National Security Council.
Israel claims to have control over Iranian airspace and plans to expand the campaign. However, it will be difficult to destroy the most protected facilities, including the Fordo plant under the rock, without the participation of the United States.
Is Iran losing the war?
Iran reports 224 dead, most of them civilians. Israel recognizes losses among the population – 24 victims. Evacuations continue in both countries.
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, Tehran has been losing influence: its allies – from Hamas to Hezbollah, Houthis and Iraqi groups – have been attacked, and Syrian dictator Assad, an ally of Iran, has lost power. Israel also launched a large-scale cyberattack on Iranian infrastructure.
Netanyahu says he will not stop until Iran’s nuclear program is dismantled. Tehran insists that nuclear technology is used exclusively for peaceful purposes and refers to international treaties. At the same time, Israel, which is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, neither confirms nor denies that it has nuclear weapons.
IAEA inspectors have already recognized Iran as a violator of nuclear obligations. According to the agency, Israeli strikes also hit the underground enrichment facilities in Natanz. Global energy markets are reacting strongly: among the attacked facilities is the world’s largest gas field, South Pars, which is jointly owned by Iran and Qatar.
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