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US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as the American and Israeli military continued to launch strikes.
Trump said the US and allies would make Iran “economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before” after it picked “acceptable” new leadership.
With the war close to entering a second week, it remains unclear who will lead Iran after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a week ago, or on what terms the US would end its offensive against Tehran, which has triggered region-wide retaliatory strikes.
The BBC reports rhat speaking on Friday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the administration expected military operations to last four to six weeks.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender!
“After that, and the selection of a great and 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!).”
Trump’s latest intervention suggested he was not interested in a negotiated settlement to the war, though he stopped short of calling for regime change.
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Since the beginning of the conflict, Trump has avoided the term “regime change”, a sign he may be wary of drawing parallels between the attack on Iran and past US wars in the Middle East that he criticised before entering politics.
Other senior administration officials have made that argument on Trump’s behalf in recent days, saying the president will not let the US get drawn into a protracted, open-ended conflict like in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Asked about the duration of the offensive, Leavitt told reporters: “We expect [the war] to last about 4 to 6 weeks, and we are well on our way to achieving those objectives, annihilating Iran’s navy.”
She also said President Trump did not want Iran to be led by “a radical terrorist or a regime that chants death to America”.
The White House press secretary told reporters: “[Trump] wants to take an interest in and pursuing who the next leader of the Iranian country is going to be. And that has yet to be seen, the president is discussing it.”
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