Trump Says US ‘May or May Not’ Join Israeli Strikes, Tells Iran ‘Good Luck’ After Khamenei Rejects Surrender Demand

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has yet to decide whether the United States will join Israel’s military campaign against Iran, after Tehran rejected Washington’s demand for an “unconditional surrender.”

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made a decision about US military involvement in the ongoing conflict against the Islamist regime in Iran.

“I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump said.

He also noted that Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations, including a possible meeting at the White House, but suggested it may be too late to negotiate.

“It’s very late to be talking,” Trump said. “Unconditional surrender, that means I’ve had it.”

When asked about Tehran’s rejection of his demand to surrender, Trump responded, “I say, good luck.”

On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not only rejected Trump’s call to back down but also warned Washington of “serious, irreparable consequences” if it intervenes in the conflict with Israel.

“Wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender,” the Iranian leader said in a televised speech.

“Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them,” Khamenei continued.

The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 18, 2025

After convening his national security cabinet at the White House on Tuesday, Trump warned that Washington could easily target the Iranian leader and called on Tehran to halt its attacks on the Jewish state.

“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,” he continued.

In a post on X, Khamenei claimed that US involvement in the war would be “100% to its own detriment,” stressing that “the damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.”

The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 18, 2025

“The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily,” the Iranian leader said.

Khamenei also called for a strong response to Operation Rising Lion – Israel’s sweeping military campaign against Iran, which began with a preemptive strike launched early Friday morning to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and neutralize what officials described as an imminent nuclear threat.

“We must act forcefully against the Zionist terrorist entity. We will not be merciful toward the Zionists,” Khamenei wrote.

Trump, in later remarks on Wednesday, said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting and that “we may do that.” But, he added, “It’s a little late” for such talks.

“I’m not looking to fight,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “But if it’s a choice between fighting and [Iran] having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.”

He added, “The next week is going to be very big — maybe less than a week.”

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain reportedly plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva. The aim of the talks, according to multiple news outlets, is to persuade Iran to guarantee that it will use its nuclear program solely for civilian purposes.

Trump had told senior aides he approved attack plans on Iran but was holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Referring to the destruction or dismantling of Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment center, Trump said, “We’re the only ones that have the capability to do it,” Trump said, referring to the destruction or dismantling of Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment center, which is dug deep into a mountain. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it — at all.” Some experts believe that Israel can’t destroy the Fordow facility without US military assistance.

The ongoing Israeli strikes killed several of Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists and dealt a major blow to the country’s retaliatory capabilities, destroying not only much of its ballistic missile stockpiles but also crippling its launch platforms.

Shortly after Israel started its military campaign, Trump suggested that Iran had brought the attack upon itself by rejecting Washington’s demands in nuclear negotiations to limit the country’s uranium enrichment program.

He urged Tehran to reach a nuclear deal, warning that “the next attacks already planned will be even more brutal.”

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not back down until Iran’s nuclear capabilities are dismantled, Trump has indicated the conflict could end if Tehran agrees to strict limits on its nuclear program.

Israel had previously declared it would never allow the Islamist regime to acquire nuclear weapons, as the country views Iran’s nuclear program — which Tehran insists is solely for civilian purposes — as an existential threat.

Iranian leaders have regularly declared their intention of destroying Israel and have for decades supplied internationally designated terrorist groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with weapons and funding to attack the Jewish state.

When asked on Wednesday if he thought the Iranian regime could fall as a result of the Israeli campaign, Trump said, “Sure, anything could happen.”

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