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United States President Donald Trump told Group of Seven (G7) leaders that Iran is “about to surrender” during a virtual meeting Wednesday, according to a report.
U.S. media outlet Axios, citing three officials from G7 countries briefed on the call, reported that Trump made the remarks during a virtual discussion with allied leaders.
According to the report, Trump praised the results of Operation Epic Fury during the call Wednesday morning, telling allies: “I got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all.”
While claiming Iran was close to surrendering, Trump also suggested that no officials remained alive in Tehran with the authority to make such a decision.
“Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,” Trump said, according to the report, which cited two officials briefed on the call.
The remarks come as Iran told international media that Mojtaba Khamenei, the country’s new supreme leader, is injured but in stable condition.
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera published Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei addressed the ongoing regional escalation and condemned the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Iran harbors no hostility toward neighboring countries, Baqaei said, while arguing that the U.S. military presence in the region creates “mistrust.”
He added that Tehran remains in close contact with neighboring countries and addressed European concerns about rising oil prices.
The Iranian diplomat also called on European countries to “stand against this injustice,” saying Tehran would welcome them acting as mediators.
Regional tensions have escalated since Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
The strikes have killed around 1,300 people and injured more than 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that host U.S. military assets.
Earlier this week, Mojtaba Khamenei was declared the successor to his father, Ali Khamenei.
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