Emirates 24/7 — President Donald Trump told leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) during a virtual meeting on Wednesday that Iran is on the verge of surrender, Axios reported on Friday, citing three officials from G7 nations who were briefed on the call. According to the officials, Trump expressed high confidence in the ongoing military campaign, stating that strategic objectives are being achieved at a pace significantly faster than initially projected.
During the teleconference, Trump described the outcomes of what has been dubbed Operation Epic Fury as successful in eradicating capabilities that threatened regional stability, referring to the degradation of Iranian military infrastructure. According to the report, Trump noted that the internal situation in Tehran has become so volatile that it raises questions about the command structure. He reportedly told the leaders that no one knows who the actual leader is there right now, so there is no one to come out and formally announce a surrender, though he emphasized that a collapse is imminent.
Despite the American president’s optimistic tone, the Axios report highlighted a divergence in assessments among the leaders participating in the call. While some left the meeting with the impression that the war was reaching its practical conclusion, others felt that Trump’s strategic timeline remained characterized by ambiguity. G7 leaders voiced growing concerns over the sustained economic fallout of the conflict, urging Washington to accelerate efforts to secure maritime corridors in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the steady flow of global energy supplies.
These remarks come as the confrontation enters its second week of intensive aerial operations. Trump had previously stated in a separate interview that there are almost no strategic targets left to strike within Iranian territory, asserting that the war would end soon and on Washington’s terms. However, battlefield incidents, such as the downing of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft in western Iraq on Thursday, continue to complicate the landscape, placing additional pressure on the administration to reach a definitive military or political resolution.