President Donald Trump is contemplating whether or not to launch a navy strike towards Iran as he calls for the nation’s chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “give up” in Tehran’s battle with Israel, present and former administration officers informed NBC Information on Tuesday.
A strike by america is one choice amongst a spread that Trump is weighing after assembly together with his prime nationwide safety advisors within the Scenario Room on Tuesday afternoon, the officers informed NBC.
The assembly got here hours after Trump warned Khamenei that the U.S. is aware of “precisely” the place he’s “hiding.”
“Our persistence is carrying skinny,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“He’s a simple goal, however is secure there – We’re not going to take him out (kill!), a minimum of not for now,” Trump wrote shortly after declaring “complete management” over Iran’s airspace.
“However we do not need missiles shot at civilians, or American troopers,” he wrote.
Trump in a subsequent put up made clear what he does need from Iran: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Drive One after departing early from the the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington, June 17, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
The Trump administration has insisted that the U.S. is just not immediately concerned in what Israel referred to as a preemptive strike towards Iran on Friday, which kicked off 5 days of missile hearth between the 2 regional powers.
However Trump’s newest feedback counsel the U.S. is now a minimum of keen to threaten direct navy intervention because it backs Israel’s effort to carry Tehran to heel.
The U.S. president’s menace towards Khamenei got here two days after news outlets reported that Trump had vetoed a plan by Israel to assassinate the ayatollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday downplayed his reported disagreement with Trump over Khamenei, saying, “I would not rush to conclusions.”
The New York Times reported Monday that Trump is weighing whether or not to assist Israel destroy Iran’s underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, which might solely be achieved with the U.S.’ largest “bunker buster” bomb.
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for touch upon that report or on different questions concerning the newest developments within the Israel-Iran battle.
Iranian Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei addresses the nation on Iranian state tv broadcast in Tehran, Iran on June 13, 2025.
Iranian Chief Press Workplace | Anadolu | Getty Photos
U.S. stocks slid Tuesday because the geopolitical tensions mounted. The Dow Jones Industrial Common fell practically 300 factors, or 0.7%, whereas the S&P 500 declined greater than 0.8% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.9%.
Crude oil futures jumped practically 4.3% to nearly $75 per barrel.
The Pentagon, in the meantime, is transferring extra warships and one other plane provider to the Center East, NBC reported. The U.S. beforehand deployed navy belongings to the area to assist Israel shoot down Iranian missiles and projectiles, in accordance with NBC.
Trump teed up Tuesday’s menace towards Khamenei with an earlier social media put up declaring, “We now have full and complete management of the skies over Iran.”
Tehran “had good sky trackers and different defensive gear, and loads of it, but it surely would not evaluate to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff,'” Trump wrote.
“No person does it higher than the nice ol’ USA.”
On Monday, Trump abruptly returned to Washington, D.C., from Canada, the place he had traveled for a gathering of the Group of Seven nations.
The chief of a kind of nations, French President Emmanuel Macron, had prompt in Alberta that the U.S. could be looking for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Trump swiftly rebuked Macron on-line, calling him “publicity looking for” and denying that he had left the G7 summit looking for a ceasefire.
“He has no thought why I’m now on my method to Washington, but it surely actually has nothing to do with a Stop Fireplace,” Trump wrote. “Keep Tuned!”
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