The air war between Iran and Israel entered its sixth day with the two bitter foes launching new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday local time, despite the US’ call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” following Iranian Supreme Leader’s vow of “never compromise,” Reuters reported.
The Israel-Iran conflict further escalated on Tuesday, as both countries issued evacuation warnings to each other’s civilian populations.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged residents of Tehran to evacuate the city immediately on Tuesday, news portal euronews.com reported.
Katz issued the warning, saying that Israel would continue to strike “against regime and military targets in Tehran, just as we did yesterday against the propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority,” and called on residents of Iran’s capital to leave nearby areas, according to euronews.com.
Iran’s Armed Forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi urges residents of Haifa and Tel Aviv to evacuate, warning of imminent “punitive” attacks. In a video statement broadcast on state television, Mousavi said, “Punitive operations will be carried out soon,” and that “residents of the occupied territories, especially Tel Aviv and Haifa, are strongly urged to leave these areas for the sake of their lives,” The Times of Israel reported.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warned that US patience was wearing thin. While he said there was no intention to kill Iran’s leader “for now,” his comments suggested a more aggressive stance toward Iran as he weighs whether to deepen US involvement, Reuters reported.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” he wrote on Truth Social, referring to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now … Our patience is wearing thin.”
Three minutes later Trump posted, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Khamenei responded in a series of posts on X, declaring that Iran “will never compromise with Zionists” and “We will show the Zionists no mercy,” the BBC reported.
As tensions in the Middle East escalate rapidly and the likelihood of US involvement in Israeli military actions against Iran continues to grow, divisions within the Western alliance are also widening.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday local time underlined his differences with Trump over Iran, appearing to oppose tougher military actions against Iran that could plunge Iran and the region into chaos, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Macron was then speaking at a G7 summit in Canada shortly after Trump said the US would not kill Iran’s supreme leader “for now,” according to The Times of Israel. GT
