Mr. Trump asked Iran to ‘surrender unconditionally’

“There will not be any agreement with Iran except their unconditional surrender,” US President Donald Trump wrote on March 6 on the social network Truth Social.

Mr. Trump said that after Iran surrenders, the US and its allies will strive to bring the country “back from the abyss of destruction, helping Iran’s economy grow, better and stronger than ever.”

This will depend on establishing what he called “an excellent and acceptable leadership” in Iran.

The president ended the article with a new slogan: “Make Iran Great Again (MIGA)!”, a variation of the familiar slogan “Make America Great Again” (MAGA).

Mr. Trump posted while Israel continued to bomb Iranian government targets in the capital Tehran and Hezbollah positions in Beirut. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that air strikes from the US against Iran “are about to increase dramatically”.

The US military said today that 50 fighter jets hit an underground bunker beneath Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s destroyed complex in Tehran, which Iran’s leadership still uses after his death.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said some countries had begun mediation efforts, but did not name the countries or provide further details. He affirmed that Iran is “committed to lasting peace in the region” but also “does not hesitate in protecting the dignity and authority of its country”.

“Reconciliation should target those who underestimated the Iranian people and fueled this conflict,” President Pezeshkian added.

Under Iran’s system, the president is under the authority of the supreme leader, but Mr. Pezeshkian is serving on a committee that takes over the duties of the late Leader Khamenei.

President Trump has so far refused to give a specific time frame for ending the conflict. In an interview with the magazine Time On March 5, he said that the US would likely achieve the goals of the campaign to attack Iran in 4-5 weeks, but he did not set any deadline because he wanted to “complete the work”.

Mr. Trump also said he wanted to “participate in the appointment” of Mr. Khamenei’s successor, declaring that he would not accept the new Supreme Leader of Iran pursuing the policy of his predecessor Khamenei, which he said would cause the US to enter a new war within the next 5 years.