Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday delivered his first public statement since the ceasefire that ended 12 days of war with Israel. In his address, he offered congratulations for what he claimed was a victory over the “fallacious Zionist regime.”
The clerical ruler declared in a video address—excerpts of which were published on his official Telegram and X accounts—that “with all that commotion and all those claims, the Zionist regime was practically knocked out and crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic.”
Khamenei also claimed victory over the “U.S. regime,” asserting that Washington had directly entered the conflict to save Israel from complete destruction. “It entered the war in an effort to save that regime but achieved nothing,” he said.
“The Islamic Republic delivered a heavy slap to the U.S.’s face. It attacked and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base [in Qatar], which is one of the key U.S. bases in the region,” the supreme leader claimed.
He continued, “The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to key U.S. centers in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary is a significant matter. Such an action can be repeated in the future, too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”
Khamenei referenced President Donald Trump’s statement calling for the Iranian regime’s “unconditional surrender,” saying, “That statement is too big to come out of the U.S. president’s mouth.”
