US President Donald Trump told leaders of the G7 during a virtual meeting on Wednesday that Iran was “about to surrender”, according to three officials from G7 nations who were briefed on the discussion.
The remarks were made during a call with leaders of the major industrialised countries, where Trump spoke about the outcome of the recent military action known as "Operation Epic Fury”. Officials familiar with the conversation said he presented the operation as a major success.
During the call, Trump reportedly told the leaders that he had “got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all”, referring to the situation involving Iran. He also highlighted what he described as the positive results of the operation while speaking with allied nations, as per Axios.
Iran launched a series of strikes early Friday targeting several Gulf Arab nations, including a wave of drones aimed at Saudi Arabia. The attacks came after warnings from the country’s newly appointed supreme leader, who cautioned regional governments against hosting American military bases. In response, US President Donald Trump threatened strong retaliatory action.
“Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. Iran's Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s stark warning
In his first public remarks after taking over as Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation for the death of his father and signaled that Iran would continue confronting the United States, Israel, and their allies in the region. He said Iran intends to use the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic tool and warned that it should remain closed to increase pressure on its adversaries.
Khamenei also demanded the withdrawal of all US military bases from the Middle East, cautioning that continued presence could trigger more attacks. He added that Iran is prepared to expand the conflict by opening additional fronts if tensions persist.
