Khamenei: Iran Dealt ‘Crushing Blow’ to Israel and Slapped US in the Face
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared a “victory” over both Israel and the United States in a televised address Thursday, following a 12-day military confrontation that left dozens dead and heightened fears of a broader regional war. Speaking on state-run IRIB TV, Khamenei praised Iran’s armed forces and claimed the Islamic Republic had delivered a powerful response to its adversaries.
“Despite all its propaganda and claims, Israel was almost knocked down and crushed under Iran’s blows,” he said, describing Iranian missile strikes as having penetrated Israel’s “advanced multilayered defense” and destroyed both military and urban targets.
Khamenei accused the United States of entering the war to protect Israel and failing in that objective. “The American regime entered into a direct war because it felt that if it did not enter, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed,” he said. “It entered the war to save it, but it did not achieve anything significant.”
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He dismissed US President Donald Trump’s statements about the success of American airstrikes, calling them exaggerated. “They could not do anything, they could not achieve their goal, and they exaggerate to cover up the truth,” Khamenei said. Referring to Iran’s missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts Qatari, American, British, and other military forces, he added, “The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face,” warning that such actions “can be repeated in the future” if provoked.
Responding to President Trump’s suggestion that Iran must “surrender,” Khamenei called the demand offensive and unrealistic. “The name ‘surrender’ for such a country is a source of ridicule for those who know the Iranian nation,” he said. “Americans will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender and nothing less.”
Khamenei also praised what he called the Iranian people’s “extraordinary unity” during the conflict, commending nationwide support for the country’s armed forces.
The conflict began on June 13 with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists, as well as civilians. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets, prompting US strikes on three major nuclear facilities. In response, Iran launched missiles at the American airbase in Qatar. A US-brokered ceasefire took effect on June 25, but both sides continue to claim victory.
