President Donald Trump said Iran had promised to “apologize and surrender” to its Middle East neighbors and halt military attacks against them, while warning that additional strikes against Iranian targets were imminent.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, President Trump claimed that coordinated military pressure from the United States and Israel had forced Iran to withdraw, and that the country had lost its influence as a regional power.
He said other Middle Eastern countries also thanked him for delivering this result.
The US president has indicated that military operations will continue, including strikes on targets not previously considered.
War between Iran, US and Israel enters second week
The war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel is in its second week since the start of Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale joint military operation targeting more than 900 sites across Iran.
During the start of a series of attacks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in his compound, creating a sudden leadership crisis in Tehran and increasing tensions across the Middle East.
Over the past week, Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against U.S. military bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. The country also moved to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, causing a sharp rise in international oil prices.
The situation in the region further deteriorated after the Iran-aligned extremist group Hezbollah resumed heavy rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon against Israeli targets.
According to the latest developments, the United States has demanded unconditional surrender from the Iranian leadership, but Iran has refused.
In a statement released today, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that the country’s Transitional Leadership Council had approved new rules to prevent attacks on neighboring countries, and said that Iran would only respond militarily if an attack against Iran originates from its territory.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. Please see our Editorial Policy for more information on how we create and review content.
