President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his rhetoric against Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday amid the country’s ongoing fighting with Israel, saying on social media that the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located but will not kill him “for now.”

The comments fuel questions as to whether Washington would join Israel’s attacks after insisting it had no hand in the campaign. Trump’s sometimes contradictory and cryptic messaging about the conflict has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the crisis. His public comments have ranged from military threats to diplomatic overtures, not uncommon for a president known for an often erratic approach to both domestic and foreign policy.

In another post, Trump also appeared to demand Iran’s “unconditional surrender!” as he fuelled questions about whether the US would join Israel’s attacks on Tehran’s leadership and nuclear facilities.

“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 on his Truth Social platform.“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!” said Trump.https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114699610769479275/embed

Minutes later, the US president followed up with another message simply saying: “Unconditional surrender!”https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114699621000737127/embed

Latest developments:

• Trump ramps up rhetoric against Iran
• Macron warns against regime change in Iran
• 3 killed in Iran as missile exchange continues for 5th day
• Trump refutes Macron’s comments on US ceasefire offer
• 20 Muslim states call for end to Israeli hostilities, urge Mideast countries to join NPT
• Some countries advise their nationals to evacuate Iran

Trump was meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict, a White House official said.

Questioned about possible US involvement in the conflict, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the matter was for Trump to decide and she could not speak on his behalf.

She said the State Department has established a Middle East task force to help coordinate support for US citizens, diplomatic missions and personnel amid the conflict. Bruce, speaking to reporters at a regular news briefing, said the task force was intended to help ensure the State Department and American citizens get the information they may need.

Trump flew back earlier from the G7 summit in Canada late on Monday as the conflict between Iran and key US ally Israel escalated, and was set to meet top officials in the White House Situation Room today.

The US president has so far stressed that his country is not getting involved in the conflict, and has said that Iran could still take a deal to end its nuclear programme that he had proposed before Israel’s attacks.

But Trump has given mounting signals that Washington’s intervention in some form may now be imminent.

Trump said today that “we” have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran”, hailing the use of US-made weaponry without explicitly mentioning Israel.https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114699514822488706/embed

Israel, the closest US ally in the Middle East, had recently made a similar claim.

Earlier, Trump told reporters on Air Force One while returning from Canada that he wanted “a real end, not a ceasefire” to the Iran-Israel conflict, and warned that “I’m not in too much of a mood to negotiate.”

After months of attacking Gaza — flattening homes, targeting hospitals, and starving a besieged population — Israel expanded its assault by launching wide-scale air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences last week, killing top commanders, scientists and civilians..

Israeli officials have claimed the strikes are part of a broader operation codenamed ‘Rising Lion’ to deter Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes.

Trump said he “wants ‘a real end’ to the nuclear problem with Iran”, while predicting that Israel would not be slowing its attacks on Iran, according to comments shared by CBS journalist Jennifer Jacobs on X.

“You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far,” CBS journalist Jennifer Jacobs quoted Trump as saying on Air Force One.

The US would “come down so hard if they (Iran) do anything to our people”, Trump warned, according to the reporter.

Trump said “I may”, on the prospect of sending US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iran. However, he added that “it depends what happens when I get back”, according to Jacobs.

Later in the day, Vice President JD Vance said, while responding to speculation that the US could intervene in the conflict, that Trump may decide that “further action” is needed to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.

“The president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military’s focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens. He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,” Vance said in a post on X.