Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Country Won’t Surrender

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country won’t surrender and warned that any U.S. military intervention would bring irreparable consequences.

His comments come after President Trump, who administration officials said is considering a range of options—including a potential U.S. strike against Iran—said on social media that the U.S. knew the location of Iran’s leader but was choosing not to take any action, and then said, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone on Tuesday, a White House official said. The U.S. military has built up forces in the region in recent days. A third U.S. Navy destroyer entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea and a second U.S. carrier strike group is heading toward the Arabian Sea.

While the Pentagon says the military buildup is purely defensive, it puts the U.S. on a firmer footing to join Israeli attacks on Iran should Trump decide to do that. Alternatively, it could be a tactic to pressure Iran to capitulate or make concessions.

Israel and Iran have continued to exchange fire, and the death toll in Iran rose above 450, according to a human-rights group. In Israel, 24 people have died as a result of Iranian strikes.

What else to know:

• The U.N. atomic agency said an Israeli strike directly hit the underground halls at Iran’s largest enrichment facility, Natanz.
• The Israeli military said its air force struck a plant that manufactures centrifuges in Tehran.
• Israel is running low on defensive Arrow interceptors, according to a U.S. official, raising concern about its ability to counter long-range ballistic missiles if the conflict isn’t resolved soon.
• Germany’s chancellor said Israel was doing the “dirty work” for other countries by striking Iran’s nuclear sites.