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United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed to have “complete and total control” over Iranian airspace following five days of Israeli airstrikes on military and nuclear sites across Iran.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” Trump said in a post on social media.
“Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American-made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”
Trump also said that Washington knows "exactly" where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is, saying he is safe "for now" while warning that "our patience is wearing thin."
"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump said in a social media post.
He added, "But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
"UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" Trump said in a follow-up social media post.
His remarks came one day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the deployment of additional U.S. military assets to the Middle East. Hegseth and other senior Trump administration officials have described the move as “defensive” amid growing speculation that U.S. forces could join Israel’s military campaign.
A Pentagon official told Anadolu Agency on Monday that Hegseth ordered the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to bolster Washington’s posture and protect American personnel in the region.
“Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority, and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” Hegseth posted on X..
Tensions in the Middle East have surged since Friday (June 13), when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple targets across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities. Tehran responded with a barrage of retaliatory missile strikes.
Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in Iranian attacks. Iran, in turn, reported that 224 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in Israeli strikes.
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