President Trump says he will not strike any deals with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” ruling out the possibility of negotiations to end the war.
“There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,” Mr. Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “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.
“Iran will have a great future. Make Iran Great Again (MIGA)!” Mr. Trump continued.
Mr. Trump’s remarks come one day after he urged the Iranian people to “help take back your country” and promised the U.S. would grant them immunity amid the war and dangers from the current Iranian regime.
“So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity,” Mr. Trump said, without providing specifics. “Or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death.”
In interviews with Reuters and Axios, Mr. Trump said he should be involved in choosing Iran’s new supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in one of the first strikes of the war. Mr. Trump has dismissed the idea of Khamenei’s son taking over Iran, calling him a “lightweight.”
SEE ALSO: U.S. officials say Iran can barely defend itself as strikes delay selection of new supreme leader
“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Mr. Trump told Axios.
Iranian state television reported Friday that the country’s leadership council has begun discussions on how to convene the country’s Assembly of Experts to select the new supreme leader. The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member clerical panel, but buildings associated with it have been damaged during the Israeli-U.S. airstrikes.
