Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has addressed the nation in a televised video message—his first public statement since the recent escalation between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
In the message, Khamenei claimed a symbolic and strategic victory for Iran following weeks of rising tensions and military confrontations. He accused the US of failing to make a significant impact with its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and criticised former President Donald Trump for what he called an “unusually exaggerated” version of events.
“The United States failed to achieve anything significant,” Khamenei said, referring to US missile strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. “Our nation has endured worse and has always risen stronger.”
In a prior post on X (formerly Twitter), the Supreme Leader had already declared that Iran had delivered a “heavy slap” to the US and claimed triumph over Israel following the ceasefire.
The conflict escalated two weeks ago after Israel launched air strikes on Iranian territory. Iran retaliated with missile attacks, leading to a ceasefire agreement. Former US President Donald Trump described the conflict as a “12-day war,” a phrase that Khamenei appeared to rebuke in his remarks.
Following the Israeli-Iranian exchange, the US launched additional strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites. In response, Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Qatar, further heightening tensions in the region.
Later today, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to hold a news conference detailing the extent of the damage caused by Iran’s retaliatory strikes and the current state of US military installations in the Middle East.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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