US President Donald Trump has demanded "unconditional surrender" from Iran, significantly increasing pressure on Tehran a week after the start of the joint war with Israel.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump wrote that there will be no deal with Iran except for an “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” He added that after surrender and the election of a new leader acceptable to Iran, the US and its allies would work to bring the country back “from the brink of destruction” and make it economically stronger than before.
The statement came just hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that several countries had launched mediation efforts to end the conflict, one of the first signals of a diplomatic initiative.
Trump's demand for unconditional surrender immediately sent shockwaves through financial markets. European stock markets plunged immediately after the statement, while Wall Street also opened sharply lower.
A day earlier, Trump had stated in an interview with Reuters that he also wants to have a role in selecting Iran's new supreme leader, to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Israel has expanded its military operations in Lebanon. The Israeli army struck the capital Beirut on Friday, after ordering a mass evacuation of the city's southern suburbs.
According to Israel, the attacks targeted a command center of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' naval unit, as well as several facilities used by Hezbollah. There was no immediate response from the Revolutionary Guards or the Lebanese militant group.
Israel also announced a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying about 50 warplanes struck a bunker still used by Iranian leaders under Khamenei's destroyed compound in Tehran.
Iranian President Pezeshkian declared that Iran is ready for peace, but stressed that the country will not hesitate to defend its "dignity and authority."
Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its bombing campaign in Lebanon to target Hezbollah, Iran's main ally in the region. The Shiite group had fired rockets at Israel this week in retaliation for Khamenei's death.
