US President Donald Trump ruled out any negotiated settlement with Iran, asserting that the United States would accept nothing short of unconditional surrender and then went further, calling for a new Iranian leadership and promising to help rebuild the country once it complies.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump laid out his most explicit statement of war aims since the conflict began on February 28, closing the door on diplomatic efforts that several countries had been quietly pursuing in recent days.
Read more:‘Hey, We’re With You’: Pentagon Chief Says Iran’s Attacks Have Pushed Gulf Arabs To Back US
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER," Trump wrote.
A New Leader, Hand-Picked To Washington’s Satisfaction
Trump did not stop at demanding military capitulation. He tied any post-war reconstruction to a change of leadership in Tehran, writing that after surrender there must be “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)"- a formulation that effectively signals Washington’s intention to have a say in who governs Iran next.
Iran is currently without a supreme leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the February 28 strikes. An Interim Leadership Council is managing the government while the Assembly of Experts- the 88-member clerical body constitutionally tasked with selecting a supreme leader- is under intense pressure to appoint a successor. An Iranian lawmaker said this week that a new supreme leader could be announced within days.
Read more:88 Clerics, No Public Vote, No Transparency: How Iran Picks Its Supreme Leader?
In a rhetorical flourish that repurposed his own signature political brand, Trump ended the post with a promise and a slogan.
“We, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before," he wrote, adding, “IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).'"
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
