President Donald Trump told fellow G7 leaders this week that Iran was “about to surrender,” according to multiple officials briefed on a private virtual meeting, even as Tehran publicly vowed to intensify the war. Three officials from G7 countries told Axios that Trump made the remark during Wednesday’s call while discussing the impact of ongoing U.S. military operations.
During the conversation, Trump reportedly praised the results of “Operation Epic Fury” and told leaders, “I got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all.”
At the same time, however, Trump acknowledged deep uncertainty inside Iran’s leadership structure following a wave of strikes that have decapitated parts of the regime.
“Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,” he told allies, according to one official briefed on the call.
The comments came as G7 leaders raised alarm about the widening economic consequences of the conflict, particularly threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global energy markets. Oil prices have surged amid fears that Iran could attempt to choke off commercial traffic through the narrow passage.
Several leaders pressed Trump to move quickly to de-escalate and secure the shipping lanes. According to an official familiar with the discussion, Trump told allies that conditions in Hormuz were improving and suggested commercial vessels should resume operations.
That same night, at least two tankers were reportedly set ablaze off the coast of Iraq, underscoring the volatility of the region. Sources told Axios that Trump was “ambiguous and noncommittal” about a timeline for ending the war but insisted, “we need to finish the job.” Publicly, the president has continued to project confidence.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the United States had just carried out “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East,” targeting Iran’s Kharg Island energy infrastructure. He also warned that if Iran interferes with the “free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. would “wipe out” oil facilities on the island.
Meanwhile, turmoil inside Tehran has fueled further speculation about the regime’s stability. Iran’s newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named successor to his father, Ali Khamenei, after the longtime ruler was killed in a Feb. 28 strike. But multiple reports citing sources inside Iran claim Mojtaba Khamenei is severely injured and possibly unaware he has even been elevated to the country’s top post.
A source in Tehran told The Telegraph that Mojtaba is in a coma at Sina University Hospital following an airstrike. According to the source, his injuries are so severe that he does not know about the ongoing fighting, the deaths of family members — including his wife and son — or his own appointment as supreme leader.
“He is in intensive care,” the source said, describing heavy security and a sealed-off section of the hospital.
Another source, communicating through an exiled dissident in London, described catastrophic injuries: “One or two of his legs have been cut off. His liver or stomach has also ruptured. He is apparently in a coma as well.”
That source claimed Mojtaba is being treated by Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, described as one of Iran’s top trauma surgeons. President Trump has publicly suggested the new leader is “damaged.”
Iranian officials have acknowledged Mojtaba is injured but have provided few specifics, fueling confusion within the regime. An Iranian official told The Telegraph, “No one knows anything about Mojtaba, whether he is alive or dead or how badly injured.”