Photo: AP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinTrump said he has full control over Iran's skies and knows the location of Ayatollah Khamenei, but that he will not kill him for now. An hour later, the US president met with his national security team. Next steps are awaited
President of the United States of America Donald tramp met with his national security team in the so-called "Situation Room," a White House official confirmed to CNN.
The meeting took place at a time when the US president is considering whether that country should be additionally included in the current one conflict between Israel and Iran.
CNN's sources say that Trump is increasingly sympathetic to the idea of โโusing US military capabilities to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, and has less faith in a diplomatic solution to end the escalating conflict.
Previously, Trump stated on the social network Truth Social that he knows the whereabouts of Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but that - for now - he will not remove him.
"We know exactly where the so-called 'supreme leader' is hiding. He's an easy target, but he's safe there - we won't remove (kill!) him, at least not yet. But we don't want missiles fired at civilians or US soldiers. Our patience is running out. Thank you for your attention on this matter!" Trump wrote.
A few minutes later, another Trump announcement followed: "Unconditional capitulation!"
In a post written about thirty minutes earlier, Trump wrote: "We now have complete and absolute control of the skies above Iran."
Who controls the Iranian skies?
The meaning of Trump's statement about "total control of the skies above Iran" is still not entirely clear, even to the actors directly involved.
When asked by a CNN reporter to interpret Trump's words, Israel's ambassador to the US, Yehiel Leiter, said that Israel had asked the United States for a purely "defensive deployment of forces" in the conflict with Iran.
"I'm far from being a spokesman for the President of the United States. So I'm not even going to try to interpret what he meant by that," Lighter said cautiously.
"I can only speak to the facts. We have asked the US for a defense deployment. And we are extremely grateful for the defense systems that the United States has put in place," Leiter said, noting that missile defense systems like THAAD have helped "save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives in the last four days since Iran has been firing ballistic missiles at our populated areas."
"That's what we asked for and that's what the US is providing," he added, suggesting President Trump may have been referring to Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets, which Israeli forces use "very heavily."
Preparing for the offensive?
The CNN journalist, however, insisted on the question of the possible offensive involvement of the US in helping Israel.
"The decision now on the table, it seems, is for the president to decide whether US military personnel will fly planes and drop US bombs, especially so-called 'bunker buster' bombs, to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities once and for all. Is that what Israel is asking for?", she asked the Israeli ambassador.
Leiter stuck to his initial answer - no.
"No. I was very clear: we asked for a defensive deployment of forces. We shared all the information we have about Iranian positions on the ground, and the administration, President Trump, will make a decision on which way he wants to go," the Israeli ambassador said.
That decision is still pending, and US Vice President JD Vance says all options are still on the table.
In a social media post, Vance responded to "a bunch of crazy things" about the US's role in the conflict, also expressing concern among some members of Trump's conservative "Make America Great Again" movement.
"The president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military focused on protecting troops and citizens," Vance wrote.
"He may decide to take further steps to end Iran's (uranium) enrichment. That decision, of course, is solely his. And it's understandable that people are concerned about foreign interference after 25 years of idiotic foreign policy."
Iran calls for evacuation
The supreme commander of the Iranian army invited the residents of the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv to evacuate immediately, reports the Reuters agency, referring to the Iranian news agency Mehr.
Iran has already attacked the two Israeli cities in the past days as part of five days of fighting that began on Friday, when Israel launched unprecedented airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting its nuclear program and military leaders.
According to the Israeli government press service, at least 2.725 people have been evacuated from their homes in Israel since the conflict with Iran escalated.
As of Tuesday, the death toll in Israel stands at 24, and more than 647 people have been wounded, at least 10 of whom are in serious condition, the Israeli government said.
According to available data, at least 224 people have died in Iran since Friday.
Sources: CNN/Guardian/Reuters
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