Iran's supreme leader would be "an easy target," according to the US president

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Washington has the ability to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while demanding that Tehran unconditionally surrender.

America's main ally in the Middle East, Israel, bombed Iranian nuclear and military facilities last week, calling it a preemptive attack to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel, escalating the conflict between the two countries. Trump has endorsed the Israeli operation.

"We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran," the US president claimed on Truth Social on Tuesday.

"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump wrote.

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He warned, however, that "patience is wearing thin," and demanded that Tehran capitulate in a short follow-up message.

Trump cut his G7 summit trip short on Monday and returned to the US from Canada "because of what's going on in the Middle East," the White House said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also refused to rule out killing Khamenei, telling ABC News on Monday that this would "end the conflict," rather than escalate it. When pressed on whether he would really consider such a move, he pointed to Israel's assassination of Iran's "top nuclear scientists."
Tehran insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and categorically denies that it is developing a nuclear bomb, as Israel alleges.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that the goal of Israel's attack on Iran was to "scuttle" any possible nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington. "Iran did NOT begin this war and has no interest in perpetuating bloodshed," he said, adding that Tehran will fight to the last to protect its country and people.

He warned that getting the US "mired in the Mother of Forever Wars" would destroy any prospect of a diplomatic solution.