United States President Donald Trump has stated that he is not interested in negotiating with Iran, warning that the ongoing conflict could reach a point where the country may no longer have leaders left to engage in surrender talks.
“At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left to say ‘We surrender’,” the US president said while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump made the remarks as he voiced support for the joint air campaign by the United States and Israel aimed at crippling Iran’s military capabilities.
Meanwhile, officials in the Trump administration are reportedly considering strategies to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
According to a report by Axios, discussions are ongoing about potentially deploying special forces into Iran at a later stage of the war to take control of the nuclear material. Four sources familiar with the talks disclosed the development to the outlet.
Overnight, Tehran experienced one of the most severe attacks from Israeli forces since the escalation of hostilities.
The strikes targeted infrastructure and oil facilities across the city. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the operation, stating that it had “launched another wave of attacks across Iran”.
Residents in Tehran reported waking up to powerful explosions, with several oil refineries struck during the assault. Massive flames from the facilities reportedly lit up the night sky, turning it orange.
Elsewhere in the region, the Kuwait Armed Forces said debris from intercepted drones caused damage to civilian infrastructure in the country.
“Some civilian facilities have sustained material damage as a result of debris and shrapnel falling from interception operations”, an official spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence said.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large fire consuming a tower in Kuwait City.
The spokesperson added that the Kuwait Air Force “continues to engage hostile aerial targets,” while urging both citizens and residents to comply with safety and security guidelines.
In a separate development, the United States and Israel have reportedly continued discussions about sending special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium later in the conflict, according to the Axios report citing four sources familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators gathered in London on Saturday to protest against the ongoing US and Israeli military actions in Iran. Authorities from the Metropolitan Police estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 people participated in the “Hands Off Iran” march, chanting: “Stop the bombing now, now, now”.
The protest came as Trump declared that Iran was being “beaten to hell” and warned that the country “will be hit hard today”. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, dismissed calls for an unconditional surrender, describing them as a “dream that they should take to their grave”.
However, Pezeshkian issued an apology for attacks that had affected neighbouring countries, a move seen as an attempt to ease regional tensions following Iranian strikes across the Gulf.
