Trump's week in review: Oval Office prayer meeting, DHS shakeup, demands Iran's 'unconditional surrender'

1. Trump demands Iran's 'unconditional surrender'; Hegseth says he prays for ‘biblical wisdom'

In a post on Truth Social Friday, Trump demanded total surrender from Iran, writing: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” 

The president added: “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” he wrote Friday. “IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).”

On Thursday, Trump said he wants to be involved in the selection of Iran's new leader to avoid the same authoritarian rule Iran has endured for the last 36 years. 

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump told Axios, referring to Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after the U.S. captured dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, over 9,000 Americans have opted to return home from the Middle East.

In another Truth Social post earlier this week, Trump said: "If you are a U.S. Citizen in the Middle East, and you want to come home, please register with the State Department at Step.State.Gov."
 
He added, "The Department will identify where you are, and provide travel options to you. We are already chartering flights, free of charge, and booking commercial options, which we expect will become increasingly available as time goes on."

Days before informing the public that U.S. operations in Iran are “accelerating, not decelerating,” U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared how faith and prayer play a role in the day-to-day operations of his department, especially amid the Iran conflict. 

During a press conference providing updates on Operation Epic Fury on Monday, Hegseth responded to a question from a reporter asking what his prayer was for members of the armed forces that “are in harm’s way right now” by stating, “My prayer for them is that I do pray for them.”

“My wife prays for them. Our family prays for them. Our cabinet prays for them,” he insisted. “None of this is done on a whim.” 

Hegseth assured reporters that “we think about them with every decision that we make and every recommendation that we make to the president of the United States,” adding, “Those recommendations are made prayerfully.”

Hegseth added, “When I pray every day for them and for this mission, I pray simply for the biblical wisdom to seek what is right and the courage to do it.”

“It’s going to take courage to follow through on this. There’s going to be a lot of noise and we pray for that, and we hope all of you do too,” he said. 

Hegseth began the press conference by delivering a message directly to the members of the armed forces serving on the front lines. “May Almighty God watch over you and His providential arms of protection extend over you,” he declared. “Godspeed, warriors — and keep going.”