On Monday, President Trump issued a warning urging people in Tehran to “evacuate immediately,” in response to Iran’s decision not to sign a nuclear agreement with the United States.
In a post on The Truth Society, Trump expressed disappointment, stating, “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ that I told them to sign. What a shame, and a waste of human life. Simply put, Iran does not have nuclear weapons. I’ve said it over and over again! Everyone should evacuate Tehran soon!”
This warning seems to align with earlier statements from Israeli officials who had called for hundreds of thousands of residents in Israel’s capital to leave as tensions ramp up in the military campaign against Iran. Tehran’s population is nearly 10 million.
Trump’s remarks might also indicate a subtle acknowledgment of Israel’s aggressive stance toward Iran, especially considering that just days before, he had suggested that Iran might be offered a “second chance” to negotiate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier in the day, indicated that he wouldn’t rule out targeting Iran’s top leadership. The Israeli military claimed it was actively diminishing Iran’s air defense capabilities, which would provide Israel with greater freedom to conduct air strikes.
“The ‘eternal war’ is what Iran wants, and they are taking us to the brink of nuclear war,” Netanyahu stated in an interview. He added, “In fact, what Israel is doing is to block this and end this attack, and we can only do so by confronting evil forces.”
On Monday, strikes exchanged between Israel and Iran marked the fourth consecutive day of conflict, which escalated after Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, resulting in the deaths of several military leaders.
Questions linger regarding the potential involvement of the U.S. in the conflict. While the Trump administration characterized Israel’s initial strike as unilateral, it noted that the U.S. supported Israel’s efforts to counter a potential retaliatory strike from Iran last Friday.
Earlier on Monday, when asked what would prompt U.S. military involvement, Trump chose not to elaborate. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he told reporters at the beginning of a summit of G7 leaders in Alberta, Canada.
Updated at 4:06pm
