White House: Trump to decide when Iran has surrendered

Isak Fritzon

Updated 00.53 | Published 2026-03-06 23.42

            

           Donald Trump demands that Iran surrender “unconditionally”. Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

The US military war effort in Iran should be ended within six weeks.

That will happen when Iran – at least in practice – has surrendered.

When that has happened is up to Donald Trump to decide, according to the White House.
 the president. 

Quick version

• The US war in Iran is expected to be over within six weeks, according to the White House.
• Donald Trump demands Iran’s unconditional surrender as a condition for a deal.
• Trump plans to appoint a new leader in Iran after the war, who does not necessarily have to be democratically elected, but who should be fair and honest.
  

A deal with Iran requires the Islamic Republic to “UNCONDITIONALLY COVER UP,” US President  Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

A short while later, Trump clarified what he meant.

“Unconditional surrender could be when they (the Iranians) announce it. But it could also be when they can no longer fight because they have no one or nothing left to fight,” the president told Axios.

White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt says that only the president can determine when Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States and when the goals of the war have been achieved.

She also says that there are few left in the Islamic Republic’s government who can wave the white flag and surrender.

“Honestly, there are not many left who can say that on their behalf, since the US and Israel have eliminated over 50 leaders of the former terrorist regime, including the supreme leader himself.”

 

Attack on Tehran late Friday. Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP

Trump's demands: "Fair and honorable"

Achieving the goals, which have been criticized for being vague, is expected to take between four and six weeks, according to Leavitt.

On Thursday, Donald Trump said that he will personally be involved in appointing a new leader in Iran after the war. He repeated the same message on Friday - but that the leader should be democratically elected is less important.

- What I'm saying is that it has to be a leader who is fair and honorable. Someone who does a good job, treats the United States, Israel and the other countries in the Middle East well, Donald Trump tells CNN.

He is open to the possibility that it could be a religious leader.

- I have nothing against religious leaders. I deal with a lot of religious leaders and they are fantastic, says the president.