Iran’s Supreme Leader Issues Fresh Warnings to US Following Ceasefire, Damage to Nuclear Sites Confirmed
Iran’s Supreme Leader Issues Fresh Warnings to US Following Ceasefire, Damage to Nuclear Sites Confirmed
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, delivered a strong rebuke to the United States today, declaring Iran had dealt a “slap to America’s face” with its recent strike on a US base in Qatar. In his first public address since a 12-day conflict with Israel concluded with a ceasefire on Tuesday, Khamenei warned against any further US aggression, emphasizing Iran’s capability to retaliate.
Speaking in a recorded video broadcast on state television, the 86-year-old leader appeared fatigued but resolute. His more than 10-minute speech was replete with threats directed at both the US and Israel. Khamenei downplayed the impact of Sunday’s US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, which President Donald Trump had claimed “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. “They could not achieve anything significant,” Khamenei asserted.
However, his assessment was contradicted by International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, who reiterated today that the damage to Iranian nuclear facilities from the US and Israeli strikes is “very, very, very considerable.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, had also conceded yesterday that “our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”
Khamenei, who had been in a secret location since the June 13 war outbreak, claimed the US intervened only to prevent the “utter destruction” of Israel, stating, “It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing.” He highlighted Monday’s attack on the US base in Qatar as proof of Iran’s regional reach and capacity for future action, warning, “Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”
As the ceasefire holds, signs of normalcy are returning to Iran. Today, the country partially reopened its airspace, which had been closed since the conflict began, and shops in Tehran started to resume operations. Casualty figures from the conflict remain disputed, with Iran reporting 606 killed and 5,332 wounded, while a human rights group suggested higher figures, including at least 1,054 killed in Israeli strikes.
Despite Iran’s insistence on maintaining its nuclear program, President Trump has indicated that US and Iranian officials are set to engage in talks next week, sparking cautious optimism for a more lasting peace. However, Iran has not yet confirmed such discussions, and its parliament recently moved to restrict cooperation with the IAEA, signaling a challenging path ahead for diplomacy.
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