Trump says US knows 'exactly' where Iranian supreme leader is, but says he is safe 'for now'

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington knows "exactly" where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is, saying he is safe "for now" while warning that "our patience is wearing thin."

"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump said in a social media post. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

"UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" he said in a follow-up social media post.

The comments came just minutes after Trump claimed to have "complete and total control" of Iranian airspace.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Monday that the US deployed additional military assets to the Middle East, a move he and other senior Trump administration officials have maintained is "defensive" in nature amid speculation that American forces could join Israel's military campaign.

A defense official told Anadolu on Monday that Hegseth directed the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the CENTCOM area of responsibility to sustain "our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel."

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks. Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the Israeli assault.