WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his rhetoric amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, declaring that the United States knows the exact location of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei but is choosing not to kill him “for now.”
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump posted on social media. “He is an easy target, but is safe there — we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
Trump called for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” as the five-day-old conflict intensified, and said he had cut short his participation in the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington for urgent security talks.
Shortly before those remarks, Trump claimed in a separate post that the U.S. and Israel had gained “complete control” of the skies over Tehran. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Israel had shared a credible plan to assassinate Khamenei, but Trump had rejected the idea, fearing it would escalate the conflict and destabilize the region.
Israel, after days of heavy strikes on Iranian targets, believes it is close to crippling Iran’s nuclear program but may need additional U.S. military support — including bunker-busting bombs — to finish the job. Such a move, however, carries significant political risk for Trump, who campaigned on promises to avoid foreign wars.
As he returned to Washington, Trump criticized Iranian leaders for refusing to negotiate, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: “They should have done the deal. I told them, ‘Do the deal.’ I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.”
While Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, U.S. intelligence agencies continue to assess that Iran is not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. Trump dismissed that analysis and lashed out at National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that Iran was not building a bomb.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump said. “I think they were very close to having it.”
Gabbard downplayed the contradiction, blaming the media and saying Trump was “saying the same thing I said.”
The White House confirmed Trump had convened a high-level Situation Room meeting Tuesday, as U.S. warships and aircraft repositioned in the region. The State Department formed a special task force to assist Americans seeking to leave the Middle East, although no evacuations have been ordered.
During the G7 summit, Trump caused alarm by urging Tehran’s population of nearly 10 million to evacuate the city. Asked later to clarify, he said, “I just want people to be safe.”
Despite his warlike tone, Trump said he wasn’t ruling out diplomacy and may send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to explore talks with Iran.
The Israeli military claims its strikes have degraded Iran’s air defenses and neutralized large portions of its nuclear infrastructure — though the deeply buried Fordo facility remains intact. To reach it, Israel would need the 30,000-pound GBU-57 “bunker buster,” a munition it does not possess. The weapon can only be deployed by the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber.
Although Israel’s defenses remain largely effective, some Iranian retaliatory missiles have caused deadly damage, increasing pressure on Trump to act decisively.
Within Trump’s own base, divisions are emerging. Some MAGA-aligned figures, including Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk, argue that deeper involvement would betray Trump’s America First promise to avoid foreign entanglements.
Trump pushed back, writing online: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’”
While Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and others voice caution, Sen. Lindsey Graham and a growing chorus of Republicans argue this is Trump’s opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“This is a moment of choosing,” Graham said. “We either let Iran rise or we finish the job.”
