A man looks at a billboard featuring the portraits of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain former leader of Hezbollah, Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iran's slain commander Qasem Soleimani in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on June 17, 2025.
Deranged Trump Demands 'Unconditional Surrender' After Threatening to Kill Iran's Leader
"If new talks take place and Trump insists on capitulation, he will get war," warned one analyst. "Iran will pay an immeasurable price. As will the region. But the U.S. will also pay a very heavy price."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded "unconditional surrender" from the Iranian government after threatening to order the assassination of the country's leader, an escalation of rhetoric that observers said could signal imminent American intervention in the increasingly deadly conflict that Israel, without provocation, started last week.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that "we know exactly where" Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "is hiding."
"He is an easy target, but is safe there," the U.S. president continued. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."
Minutes later, Trump wrote in a separate post, in all caps, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
Trump's use of "we" in his latest messaging on the war indicates that the president sees the U.S.—Israel's top ally and arms supplier—as a party to the conflict, a departure from his insistence just days earlier that the U.S. was "not involved."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his. Iran will lose. But so will the U.S."
Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Axios reported Tuesday that Trump "is seriously considering joining the war and launching a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, especially its underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow."
The same outlet reported over the weekend that Israeli officials had been pressuring the Trump administration to wade into the conflict directly, claiming that Israel "lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site."
New polling indicates that a U.S. military attack on Iran would be deeply unpopular with American voters, including those who supported Trump in 2024.
Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, warned Tuesday that Trump now appears "determined to take the country to a war of choice."
"If new talks take place and Trump insists on capitulation, he will get war," Parsi wrote. "Iran will pay an immeasurable price. As will the region. But the U.S. will also pay a very heavy price. Scores of American soldiers may be killed. Oil prices will skyrocket, and gas prices in hot summer months in the U.S. will soar. Inflation will go up."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his," Parsi added. "Iran will lose. But so will the U.S. Israel is perhaps the only country that will benefit from this war of choice."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded "unconditional surrender" from the Iranian government after threatening to order the assassination of the country's leader, an escalation of rhetoric that observers said could signal imminent American intervention in the increasingly deadly conflict that Israel, without provocation, started last week.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that "we know exactly where" Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "is hiding."
"He is an easy target, but is safe there," the U.S. president continued. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."
Minutes later, Trump wrote in a separate post, in all caps, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
Trump's use of "we" in his latest messaging on the war indicates that the president sees the U.S.—Israel's top ally and arms supplier—as a party to the conflict, a departure from his insistence just days earlier that the U.S. was "not involved."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his. Iran will lose. But so will the U.S."
Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Axios reported Tuesday that Trump "is seriously considering joining the war and launching a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, especially its underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow."
The same outlet reported over the weekend that Israeli officials had been pressuring the Trump administration to wade into the conflict directly, claiming that Israel "lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site."
New polling indicates that a U.S. military attack on Iran would be deeply unpopular with American voters, including those who supported Trump in 2024.
Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, warned Tuesday that Trump now appears "determined to take the country to a war of choice."
"If new talks take place and Trump insists on capitulation, he will get war," Parsi wrote. "Iran will pay an immeasurable price. As will the region. But the U.S. will also pay a very heavy price. Scores of American soldiers may be killed. Oil prices will skyrocket, and gas prices in hot summer months in the U.S. will soar. Inflation will go up."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his," Parsi added. "Iran will lose. But so will the U.S. Israel is perhaps the only country that will benefit from this war of choice."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded "unconditional surrender" from the Iranian government after threatening to order the assassination of the country's leader, an escalation of rhetoric that observers said could signal imminent American intervention in the increasingly deadly conflict that Israel, without provocation, started last week.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that "we know exactly where" Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "is hiding."
"He is an easy target, but is safe there," the U.S. president continued. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."
Minutes later, Trump wrote in a separate post, in all caps, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
Trump's use of "we" in his latest messaging on the war indicates that the president sees the U.S.—Israel's top ally and arms supplier—as a party to the conflict, a departure from his insistence just days earlier that the U.S. was "not involved."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his. Iran will lose. But so will the U.S."
Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Axios reported Tuesday that Trump "is seriously considering joining the war and launching a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, especially its underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow."
The same outlet reported over the weekend that Israeli officials had been pressuring the Trump administration to wade into the conflict directly, claiming that Israel "lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site."
New polling indicates that a U.S. military attack on Iran would be deeply unpopular with American voters, including those who supported Trump in 2024.
Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, warned Tuesday that Trump now appears "determined to take the country to a war of choice."
"If new talks take place and Trump insists on capitulation, he will get war," Parsi wrote. "Iran will pay an immeasurable price. As will the region. But the U.S. will also pay a very heavy price. Scores of American soldiers may be killed. Oil prices will skyrocket, and gas prices in hot summer months in the U.S. will soar. Inflation will go up."
"Trump's Iran war may destroy his presidency as Bush's Iraq invasion destroyed his," Parsi added. "Iran will lose. But so will the U.S. Israel is perhaps the only country that will benefit from this war of choice."