Trump Says Iran War May End With Regime Eliminated
US President Donald Trump said the ongoing conflict with Iran could end only with the destruction of its military leadership and ruling establishment, as Tehran moved toward selecting a new supreme leader while missiles and drones continued to fly across the Middle East.
Oil Markets Surge As Middle East Conflict Widens
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump indicated he was not interested in negotiating an end to the conflict, which has shaken global oil markets, disrupted business activity, and complicated international travel routes. Shortly after his remarks, Israel announced new strikes across Iran, saying the attacks targeted critical fuel storage facilities.
“At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say, ‘We surrender,’” Trump told reporters.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that the clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s next supreme leader could convene as early as Sunday to appoint a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an attack during the early stages of the conflict.
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According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri said a majority consensus had largely been reached regarding Khamenei’s successor.
The Israeli military also warned it would pursue any successor, stating in a post on X that it would continue targeting Iran’s leadership structure.
Trump earlier warned in a social media post that more Iranian officials could become targets in the war. “Today Iran will be hit very hard!” he wrote.
In another message posted on his Truth Social account, Trump claimed Iran had apologized and surrendered to its Middle Eastern neighbors following sustained US and Israeli military pressure. He said Tehran had pledged to stop launching attacks against regional states.
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“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore,” Trump wrote, attributing the decision to relentless US and Israeli strikes.
The US president also suggested that additional targets were under consideration for future military action.
“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” he said.
Trump also declared that Iran was no longer the “bully of the Middle East.”
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for Iran’s attacks on neighboring countries, stating that Tehran would halt such actions and suggesting they had resulted from miscommunication within military ranks.
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Pezeshkian said Iran’s temporary leadership council had approved suspending attacks against neighboring countries unless those nations launched strikes against Iran.
Trump also said Kurdish fighters would not be involved in the conflict. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he acknowledged that Kurdish forces had expressed willingness to assist efforts to topple the Iranian government but said their participation would complicate the situation.
“The war is complicated enough without having the Kurds involved,” he said.
Trump has defended the largest US military operation in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, arguing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, though he has not presented evidence supporting that claim. He has also stated that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
Trump indicated he was not interested in negotiating
Reports from Axios indicated that US and Israeli officials have discussed potentially deploying special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later stage of the conflict. When asked about the possibility of sending ground troops to protect nuclear sites, Trump said it was something that could happen “later on.”
According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, US and Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and injured thousands more.
US officials told Reuters that American forces were likely responsible for a strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed numerous children, although Trump said Iran was responsible without presenting evidence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident remained under investigation.
Iranian attacks have killed 10 people in Israel, while at least six US service members have died. Iran also said it had targeted US bases in Kuwait on Sunday.
Israel carried out additional strikes in Lebanon after the Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah launched cross-border attacks. Israel warned Lebanon it would pay a “very heavy price” if Hezbollah activity continued, as the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday reached around 300.
The widening conflict has also intensified economic pressure worldwide. Iran’s strategy of escalating regional tensions has pushed energy prices higher, disrupted logistics networks, and forced changes to global air travel routes.
Kuwait’s national oil company began reducing output on Saturday, following earlier production cuts by Iraq and Qatar. Oil prices have climbed to multi-year highs as the conflict effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
