US President Donald Trump June 18 refused to reveal whether the US would join Israel’s intensifying strikes against Iran, declaring ominously: “I may, I may not. Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
Speaking outside the White House amid growing regional bloodshed, Trump hinted at swift developments: “Next week will be big, maybe even sooner.”
While offering no concrete details, he claimed that Iran had reached out to initiate talks at the White House but dismissed the effort as too late. “It’s very late to be talking now,” he said.
The former president painted Iran as alarmingly vulnerable: “Totally defenceless, with no air defence whatsoever.”
He added that he had encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “keep going,” suggesting his tacit approval for Israel’s continued strikes on Tehran.
When pressed on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump delivered a cold message: “Good luck.” He further warned that Washington’s patience had worn thin: “Patience has already run out.”
Although Trump stopped short of confirming a direct strike against Iran or Khamenei, he asserted that the US knew Khamenei’s exact location but was holding back—for now.
However, he demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and reiterated that Tehran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Khamenei, defiant as ever, responded with a televised address, rejecting any notion of surrender. “The Iranian nation will not capitulate,” he vowed, warning that any American military intervention would provoke “irreparable damage” against the United States.
As threats escalated, so did violence on the ground. Wednesday marked the sixth consecutive day of deadly exchanges between Israel and Iran.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed at least 585 people and wounded more than 1,300 inside Iran.
Israel, in turn, reported 24 casualties and over 1,300 injured following Iran’s retaliatory barrages, including its first use of the Fattah-1 hypersonic missile.
Israel claimed its latest strikes targeted sensitive sites, including Iran’s internal security agency headquarters, while explosions echoed in Tel Aviv.
With both sides vowing escalation and Trump fueling uncertainty, the Middle East hurtles closer to a potentially explosive confrontation.
