- US President Trump claimed Iran is about to surrender during a G7 virtual meeting
- G7 leaders urged Trump to end the war and secure the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran's new Supreme Leader vowed revenge and to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed
US President Donald Trump told G7 leaders that Iran is "about to surrender" during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Axios reported.
On the call, Trump bragged about the results of Operation Epic Fury and told allies that he "got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all".
Trump claimed that Iran cannot announce the surrender because "Nobody knows who is the leader."
According to the report, G7 leaders urged Trump to end the war soon and emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz must be secured. Regarding the strategic chokepoint, Trump said that the situation is improving and that commercial ships will be able to resume operations in the area.
However, explosive-laden Iranian boats attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member the same night.
Iran Shows No Signs Of "Surrender"
Moreover, Iran shows no signs of backing down, and 24 hours later, Iran's new Supreme Leader, in his first public statement, said that his country will seek revenge for the US-Israeli strikes.
"We will not forgo avenging the blood of the martyrs. Every citizen killed by the enemy is a case for vengeance in itself," he said.
Read | Iran's New Supreme Leader's Hormuz Mention And A Warning In First Remarks
Khamenei also announced that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as leverage against the US and that the attacks on Middle East neighbours will continue.
Trump's "Lightweight" Comment For Mojtaba Khamenei
The Republican leader had mocked Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lightweight" and said that he would be "unacceptable" to the US.
Trump said that making someone a leader who would continue Khamenei's policies would force the US to be back to war "in five years".
Prior to Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment, Trump insisted that the US should have a say in selecting the next leader for Iran, similar to past US involvement in Venezuela.
Read | "I Don't Believe He Can Live In Peace": Trump's Warning For Mojtaba Khamenei
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he is "not happy" with Iran's choice of leader. "I don't believe he can live in peace," Trump said.
With the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali, as Iran's supreme leader, the country's ultraconservatives have defied the United States and Israel and signalled their intent to keep the war going, experts told AFP.
Khamenei's elevation showed that "it's the hardest of hardliners in the Iranian system" who were now in power, said Clement Therme, of the International Institute for Iranian Studies.
