Donald Trump issues cryptic warning as he ‘considers’ joining war

Donald Trump issued a cryptic warning on Tuesday evening (18 June), as he appeared to consider joining Israel's war against Iran.

The American president, 79, said his ‘patience is wearing thin’ in a post on his Truth Social platform.

He also warned Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that the US allegedly knows where he is ‘hiding’.

It comes after Israel and Iran have both exchanged missile attacks in the last week as the conflict escalates.

For those who aren’t in the loop, Israel has been conducting strikes in Tehran since June 13 and in retaliation, Iran has fired back its own missiles, with some even getting through the country’s Tel Aviv Iron Dome defences.

Israel has been conducting strikes in Tehran since June 13 (Getty Stock Image)

Since 2023, Israel has also attacked Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria as part of a mission to neutralise Tehran and its proxies.

Now, Trump has weighed in on the ongoing conflict with his social media post with a seemingly threatening message, which read: “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.

“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

According to the BBC, Trump is in the middle of considering whether to join Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

The publication reported that he met with his national security team on Tuesday to discuss next steps after posting the cryptic statement.

In another post on Truth Social, just before the ‘warning,’ he wrote: “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.

“Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured stuff.

"Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”

Then, he signed off the series of statements with a post that simply said: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER”.

Today (18 June) Iran's supreme leader responded to the comments and said the country would not be surrendering.

As per the BBC, Khamenei said: "Any form of US military intervention will undoubtedly be met with irreparable harm.

"Wise people who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation in the language of threats, because Iranians are not those who surrender.”

Iranian officials also issued a warning following Trump's controversial statement, claiming that America's involvement in Middle Eastern battles could risk another great war.

The country's foreign minister told Al Jazerra yesterday, as per The Independent: "Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region."