In what appears to be the US finally joining the Israeli strikes against Iran, President Donald Trump posted a direct call to the residents of Tehran calling for the immediate evacuation. Trump, who is attending the G7 summit, posted the message on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Tehran, the capital of miidle eastern country Iran has a population of roughly 9.5 million people.
Iran Cannot Have a Nuclear Weapon: Trump
During the day, Trump several times said that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. In his latest social media post, he again emphasized “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.” He said Iran should have signed the “deal” he told them to sign.
“What a shame, and waste of human life,” he said in what appeared to be a reference to Israel’s attack last week on Iran. Trump ended the post with a clear warning, “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Hegseth Deploys ‘Additional Capabilities’ to Middle East Amidst Iran-Israel Conflict
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed “the deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel in the region.
In his X post, Hegseth did not mention what additional capabilities the US has deployed; however, on Monday, it was reported that the US military has moved a large number of refueling tanker aircraft to Europe.
“Protecting US forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” Hegseth said in a post on social platform X.
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 16, 2025
According to reports citing analysts, the move to deploy more capabilities is intended to “provide options” to Trump as the conflict escalates in the region.
While the Pentagon and White House have declined to comment on the number of aircraft moved, the flight tracking website AirNav Systems counted more than 31 Air Force refueling aircraft, including KC-135s and KC-46s, leaving the United States on Sunday and flying east. According to the data gatheered by the website, the military flights eventually landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and in the United Kingdom, Estonia and Greece.
Why is US Deploying Assets in the Middle East?
The US has started to shift military assets and personnel as the conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its fourth day. The two countries have intensified their assaults, which started after Israel’s initial strike on Tehran on Friday.
