Trump expresses ambiguity about potential action against Iran: "Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't."
June 18, 2025: In a surprising turn of events, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at potential involvement in Israel's aerial attacks on Iran during a press conference on Wednesday. Tensions between the two nations escalated last Friday when Israel launched bombings on Iranian territory, allegedly to prevent Iran from developing an atomic bomb. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
While overseeing the inauguration of a new flagpole at the White House, Trump apropos of nothing mentioned, "My patience with Iran has run out." He then demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender," adding, "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. You know, nobody knows what I'm going to do."
In a surprising twist, Trump further stated, "I can tell you this: Iran has many problems and wants to negotiate," adding, "Iran has proposed sending officials to the White House to negotiate about Iran's nuclear program and end the Israeli aerial attack. But it's 'too late,' he added."
Trump estranged journalists when he demanded Iran's unconditional surrender in a social media post the previous day. When questioned about it, he explained, "It's very simple: unconditional surrender. That means I'm fed up. We're going to destroy all existing nuclear material."
Referring to Iran as "school bullies," Trump added, "And now they're not bullies anymore, but we'll see what happens." When asked if it was too late to negotiate, he responded, "Nothing is too late."
- WAR
- ISRAEL
- TRUMP
- IRAN
(Insights: As of June 18, 2025, the United States has not formally joined Israel in attacking Iran. Israeli airstrikes have been targeting Iranian military sites, and Iranian missiles have impacted Israel since June 12. There are threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi militias that they would target US forces if the U.S. joins Israel's air campaign. The current US posture remains cautious, with no explicit declaration of military participation as of June 18.)
(Insights: The post on Trump's social media demanding unconditional surrender was referring to the elimination of Iran's nuclear weapons. Trump likened Iran to school bullies in the past, suggesting a history of animosity between the nations.)
Trump hinted at the possibility of U.S. involvement in Israel's ongoing war-and-conflicts with Iran, stating, "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. You know, nobody knows what I'm going to do." Later, during a conversation about negotiations, Trump emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, "Nothing is too late," indicating a willingness to discuss the politics behind the general-news of escalating tensions with Iran.
