President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US knew exactly where Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was "hiding", that he was an easy target but would not be killed, at least for now.
"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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin," Trump said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he was aiming for a "real end" to the conflict between arch-rivals Israel and Iran, and not just a ceasefire.
"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, it’s very simple," he told reporters on Air Force One during his overnight flight back to Washington from a G7 summit in Canada.
He accused Iranian leaders of being unwilling to reach an agreement over their nuclear program, and suggested he was now less interested in talking with them.
"They should have done the deal. I told them, do the deal," he said. "So, I don’t know. I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate."
The Republican president, who said he plans to meet with advisers in the Situation Room, appears to be gradually building the public case for a more direct American role in the conflict.
His shift in tone comes as the US has repositioned warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.
The president said he was looking for "an end, a real end, not a ceasefire," adding that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran.
Trump predicted that Israel would not be slowing its attacks on Iran. "You're going to find out over the next two days. You're going to find out. Nobody's slowed up so far," the CBS journalist quoted Trump as saying on Air Force One.
Trump said "I may", on the prospect of sending US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iran.
However, he added that "it depends what happens when I get back", according to the CBS reporter.
