Trump demands Iran's 'unconditional surrender' but says supreme leader is safe 'for now'

While Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire in recent days, Donald Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been trading messages on social media.

Let's look back at their latest missives over the last 24 hours.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump used Truth Social to claim "complete and total control of the skies over Iran".

He went on to warn Khamenei: "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."

Stressing "our patience is wearing thin", Trump warned in one final salvo: "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"

There are no signs of that as far as Tehran is concerned.

In a series of posts on X, across different language accounts, Khamenei said Iran "will never compromise with Zionists".

"We will show the Zionists no mercy," a translation of the post reads. In a different post, he says "the battle begins".

From Syria to now Iran, Russia fears another loss in Middle Eastpublished at 07:40

07:40

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor, reporting in Saint Petersburg

Image source,EPA

When Israel's Operation Rising Lion against Iran started, Russian media were quick to stress the potential positives for Moscow.

Among them: A rise in global oil prices which is forecast to boost Russia's coffers, plus the distraction of global attention away from Russia's war on Ukraine.

However, the longer Israel's military operation goes on, the greater the realisation that Russia has much to lose from current events.

"The fact remains that Russia was unable to prevent a mass strike by Israel on a country with which five months ago [Russia] signed a comprehensive strategic partnership," wrote Russian political scientist Andrei Kortunov.

In the last six months Moscow has already lost one key ally in the Middle East, Syria's Bashar al-Assad. The prospect of regime change in Iran, the thought of losing another strategic partner in the region, will be of major concern to Moscow.

Read my full analysis here.

Sirens are blaring in northern Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces, citing a "hostile aircraft infiltration".

The military also shared on X a map showing the alerts:

Image source,Israel Defense Forces/X

The IDF says more missiles were launched from Iran as of very early Wednesday morning local time.

The graphic below does not account for this fresh wave of attacks, but it outlines where airstrikes have been felt so far in both Iran and Israel since the conflict began on 13 June.

Israel has conducted more than 100 strikes on Tehran to date, a city of around 10 million people.

Meanwhile, Iran has struck Tel Aviv and Haifa, both densely populated areas in Israel.

Image source,Getty Images

US President Donald Trump will be meeting with General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army of Pakistan, on Wednesday.

The two are set to have lunch at noon Washington time at the White House. The meeting will be closed to members of the media.

General Munir has been visiting the US since 14 June, and the meeting between the two was already scheduled.

But it comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, and concerns that the conflict may spill over to other parts of the region. Iran and Pakistan share a border.

Munir had met the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, as recently as late May, according to Iranian media. Bagheri was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 13 June, the first day of the ongoing hostilities.

Munir is viewed as the most powerful man in Pakistan.

Image source,Getty Images

Israel's airlines say they will start operating flights back to Israel on Wednesday to bring stranded residents home, after they received the green light to do so from the Israeli government.

These flights are set to depart from Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan and Paris, Israel's flag carrier El Al told Reuters News Agency.

Flights leaving Israel, however, are still suspended until 23 June as a result of the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Airlines including El Al had cancelled flights to Tel Aviv after the fighting erupted last week.

El Al said on Tuesday that flights bringing residents back to Israel "will be operated gradually", and asked Israelis stranded abroad to prepare for the possibility of having to stay longer before returning home.

Israel's transportation ministry says there are around 150,000 Israelis abroad, and around 50,000 of them are looking to return home. A portal El Al had opened for passengers looking to return had more than 60,000 sign ups, according to the airline.

The airspace between Iran and Israel has been closed to commercial travel since 13 June when the conflict began, impacting neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.