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— UN chief warns against 'additional military interventions' in Mideast
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he was considering whether the United States will join Israeli strikes on Iran Wednesday, as he said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations.
Speaking as he watched installation of a new flagpole at the White House, Trump added that his patience "had already run out" with Iran and repeated his call for the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender."
"I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn when asked if he had decided whether to launch US air strikes.
"I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate."
Trump said Iran had even suggested sending officials to the White House to negotiate on Tehran's nuclear program to end Israel's air assault, but added that it was "very late."
"I said it's very late to be talking. We may meet. There's a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference," Trump added.
"They've suggested that they come to the White House. That's, you know, courageous, but it's, like, not easy for them to do."
Asked what he meant when he called in a social media post on Tuesday for Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!", Trump again suggested that his patience had run out with Iran.
"It's very simple -- unconditional surrender. That means I've had it, okay? I've had it. I give up, no more, we go and blow up all the nuclear stuff that's all over the place," Trump said.
Trump compared Iran to "schoolyard bullies", adding: "And now they're not bullies any more, but we'll see what happens."
When asked if it was too late for negotiations, he said: "Nothing is too late."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Wednesday that his country would show no mercy towards Israel's rulers, hours after US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran's "unconditional surrender".
"We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy," Khamenei posted on X.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned against any "additional military interventions" in the Middle East, where arch foes Israel and Iran are exchanging fire for a sixth day.
"Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved, but for the whole region and for international peace and security at large," Guterres said in a statement.
Israeli strikes have destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran's nuclear programme at Karaj, just outside the capital Tehran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday.
In another strike on a site in Tehran, "one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested", the agency added in a post on X.
Israel last week launched an unprecedented bombing campaign hitting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas.
Iran has responded by launching missiles and drones, and early Wednesday said it had fired hypersonic missiles at Israel.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel says its surprise air campaign that began on June 13 is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran denies.
Bahreini told the UN correspondents' association that Tehran was "resolute in responding to Israeli attacks".
"We will respond very, very, very seriously and strongly, and that is what we are doing now. Nobody should expect Iran to show any kind of restraint," he said.
He also criticised the attitude of Western and European nations.
"When you look at the positions of different countries, Western countries, European countries, not only they are not condemning the attacks and aggression, they are trying to justify the aggression," he said.