US President Donald Trump has declared that Washington knows the precise location of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and implied that the US could eliminate him if it chose to, while urging Iran to surrender without conditions.

In the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets last week—which Jerusalem described as a preventative move to block Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons—Trump publicly backed Israel’s operation. Tehran responded by launching a series of drone and missile attacks against Israeli territory, escalating the already tense standoff.

Taking to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump wrote:
“We now fully control Iran’s airspace. We know where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He would be an easy target, but for now – we’re not eliminating him.”

Trump followed up the post with a stern warning, saying the US was losing patience and calling on Iran to surrender.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed similar sentiments in an interview with ABC News, suggesting that targeting Khamenei could bring the conflict to an end. When questioned on whether such an action would be taken, he referenced the previous assassinations of senior Iranian nuclear scientists by Israeli forces.

Tehran continues to assert that its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful and that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, countering claims made by Israel and its allies.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, argued that Israel’s attacks were intended to derail any possibility of renewing nuclear negotiations with Washington. He emphasized that Iran did not initiate the current conflict and is only acting in defense of its sovereignty and people.

He also warned that dragging the US into what he described as a “never-ending war” would eliminate any hope for a peaceful resolution through diplomacy.