“I Tell Iran: Preserve What’s Left of the Empire — Now Is the Last Best Time for a Nuclear Peace Deal” – President Donald Trump
[June 13, 2025 | Washington]
In a strong early morning statement following Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Tehran to enter into a nuclear peace agreement without delay. Trump stated,
“I tell Iran — preserve what’s left of the Iranian empire. Now is the last best time for a nuclear peace deal.”
In a post on social media, Trump added:
“I’ve given Iran opportunity after opportunity to make a deal. I told them — in the strongest terms — ‘Make the deal.’ But no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t do it.”
He further warned:
“There has already been significant loss of life and destruction. But there is still time to stop the bloodshed — because what comes next will be far worse.
Iran must act now, or there will be nothing left. Let them at least save some part of their empire.”
Israel’s Counterattack
In the early hours of Friday, Israel launched over a dozen strikes across Iranian territory and declared a state of emergency. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated:
“Following our defensive operations, we expect imminent missile and drone attacks from Iran targeting Israeli territory and civilians.”
Shortly after his remarks, air raid sirens began sounding across cities including Tel Aviv.
U.S. Position
A senior White House official told ABC News that the United States was not involved in the attacks in any capacity.
“This was entirely Israel’s decision. Our priority at this moment is to ensure the safety of U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East,” the official said.
Heavy Iranian Casualties
Iran’s military confirmed that several top military and nuclear officials were killed in the Israeli strikes. Among the deceased are:
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General Hossein Salami – Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
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Gholam Ali Rashid – Deputy Chief of Armed Forces
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Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi – Physicist and President of Islamic Azad University
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Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi – Renowned nuclear scientist
Seriously Injured:
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Ali Shamkhani – Member of the Expediency Discernment Council
The condition of Dr. Abdulhamid Minuchehr, Head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at Shahid Beheshti University, remains unconfirmed.
Civilian Casualties
Iran’s state television reported that some residential areas and apartment complexes were struck by missiles. There are fears of significant civilian casualties, especially among women and children, though official numbers have not yet been released.
