‘No deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,’ Trump says

US president stakes out maximalist war aims as conflict wreaks havoc across the region amid rising death toll.

Donald Trump has stressed that any deal with Iran must result in the country’s “unconditional surrender”, setting maximalist war objectives for the United States.

The US president’s remarks on his Truth Social platform on Friday appear to reject the prospect of a diplomatic compromise to end the conflict.

“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote.

“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”

Iranian officials, however, have expressed defiance, stressing that they are ready for a long war and prepared to fend off a US ground invasion should it occur.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a message to Trump on Thursday that the US plan for a “clean rapid military victory failed”.

“Your Plan B will be even bigger failure,” Araghchi wrote on X.

On Friday, Iran’s top diplomat posted a photo of the caskets of a mother and chils, the apparent victims of US-Israeli attacks. “Our Brave and Powerful Armed Forces will avenge each and every Iranian mother, father, and child who has been targeted by hostile forces,” Araghchi wrote.

Iran has been launching missiles and drones at Israel and US interests and assets across the region. Iranian forces have also targeted energy and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf, straining ties with Arab countries.

The war has killed at least 1,332 people in Iran, among them 181 children, according to UNICEF.

The single deadliest incident was a strike on a girls’ elementary school in the southern city of Minab on the opening day of the conflict, which Iranian authorities said killed around 180 pupils and staff.

The Trump administration has pushed to project confidence and dominance over Iran, with top officials saying that the US would “rain missiles”, “death and destruction” on the country.

In recent days, Trump has stressed that he would like to replicate the Venezuela playbook of keeping the governing system but installing a leader who is friendly to US interests.

On Wednesday, Trump said he has to be “involved” in choosing the successor of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in US-Israeli attacks on Saturday