WASHINGTON/DUBAI/JERUSALEM - US President Donald Trump on June 17 called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warned US patience was wearing thin, but said there was no intention to kill Iran’s leader “for now”, as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth day.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said meanwhile that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could face the same fate as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and hanged in 2006 after a trial.

“I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and fire missiles at Israeli citizens,” Mr Katz told top Israeli military officials.

Explosions were reported in Tehran and the city of Isfahan in central Iran, while Israel said Iran had fired more missiles towards it late on June 17, and air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and southern Israel. The Israeli military said it had conducted strikes on 12 missile launch sites and storage facilities in Tehran.

Mr Trump’s comments, delivered via social media, suggested a more aggressive stance towards Iran as he weighs whether to deepen US involvement.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” he wrote on Truth Social. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now...Our patience is wearing thin.”

Three minutes later, he posted, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Mr Trump’s sometimes contradictory and cryptic messaging about the conflict between close US ally Israel and longtime foe Iran has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the crisis. His public comments have ranged from military threats to diplomatic overtures, not uncommon for a president known for an often erratic approach to foreign policy.

Mr Trump said on June 16 that he might send US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice-President J.D. Vance to meet Iranian officials. The president said his early departure from the Group of Seven nations summit in Canada had “nothing to do” with working on a ceasefire deal, and that something “much bigger” was expected.

Mr Vance said the decision on whether to take further action to end Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, which Western powers suspect is aimed at developing a nuclear bomb, “ultimately belongs to the president”. Britain’s leader said there was no indication that the US was about to enter the conflict.

Mr Trump met for 90 minutes with his...