Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public statement since the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, addressing both Iranian citizens and international audiences through social media and a televised address.
The ceasefire, brokered earlier in the week, brought a temporary halt to the most recent round of hostilities, which included retaliatory missile strikes and heightened tensions involving multiple nations. In his statement, Khamenei claimed that Iran had successfully defended itself during the conflict and referred to recent U.S. airstrikes as ineffective.
Speaking on social media, Khamenei stated: “My congratulations on our dear Iran’s victory. The U.S. entered the conflict to support its allies but achieved nothing of significance.” He further described the missile strike on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar—one of the key American military installations in the region—as a “heavy slap” delivered by Iran.
The missile attack on June 23 was in retaliation for a previous strike reportedly targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure. While the operation, code-named Midnight Hammer, was presented by U.S. officials as a significant success, some reports have suggested that the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities may have been limited.
The Defense Intelligence Agency is said to have conducted a preliminary assessment, indicating that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves remained largely intact. These findings have not been confirmed publicly by the U.S. government but have drawn sharp reactions.
Former President Donald Trump, responding via Truth Social, strongly denied the claims and maintained that the airstrike was “one of the most successful military operations in history.” He insisted the targeted nuclear sites were “completely destroyed.”
White House officials have also pushed back on the reports, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that
the mission was executed precisely,” and that criticism from media outlets was an attempt to downplay the actions of U.S. forces.
In his televised remarks, Khamenei also responded to comments made by President Trump, calling them “unusually exaggerated and reaffirming that Iran remains committed to defending its sovereignty. He characterized the recent events as proof of Iran’s military readiness and national unity.
As of now, the ceasefire between Iran and Israel appears to be holding, though the region remains tense.
Observers are closely monitoring any new developments, particularly those related to diplomatic efforts or renewed military action.
The situation continues to evolve, and international leaders are expected to address the matter further during ongoing diplomatic meetings in Europe.
Iran delivered \’slap to America\’s face\’, says Supreme LeaderFri, Jun 27
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today his country had delivered a “slap to America\’s face” with its strike on a US airbase in Qatar, and warned against any further attacks in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared with Israel after 12 days of war.
Khamenei spoke in a recorded video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19. The 86-year-old, a skilled orator known for his forceful addresses to the country’s more than 90 million people, appeared and sounded more tired than he had just a week ago, speaking in a hoarse voice and occasionally stumbling over his words.
The speech, which went on for more than 10 minutes, was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic\’s long-time adversaries.
The supreme leader downplayed Sunday\’s US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that US President Donald Trump — who said the attack “completely and fully obliterated Iran\’s nuclear program — had “exaggerated” its impact.
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“They could not achieve anything significant,” Khamenei said. Missing from his video message was any mention of Iran\’s nuclear program and the status of their facilities and centrifuges following extensive US and Israeli strikes.
His characterisation of Monday\’s strike on the US airbase in Qatar contrasted with US accounts of it as a limited attack with no casualties.
UN nuclear watchdog confirms damage to Iran sites
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and US strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities “is very, very, very considerable.”
“I think annihilated is too much, but it suffered enormous damage,” Grossi told French broadcaster RFI.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that “our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”
Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists.
Following Sunday\’s US attack on Iran\’s nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.
Iranian leader warns US against further attacks
Khamenei claimed the U.S. had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.”
“It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,” he said.
He said his country\’s attack on the U.S. base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it shows Iran “has access to important U.S. centres in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary.”
“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, adding, “This action can be repeated in the future.”
“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” he said.
Trump has dismissed the Monday retaliatory attack as a “very weak response,” saying that the U.S. had been warned by Iran in advance and stressing that there had been no casualties.
Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran. On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war began, and shops in Tehran’s capital began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets.
With the ceasefire, life slowly returns to normal in Iran
Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said Iran had reopened its airspace for the eastern half of the country to domestic and international flights, including those transiting Iranian airspace.
Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 and wounded 4,476.
The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces.
At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials there. During the 12-day war, Iran fired more than 550 missiles at Israel with a 90% interception rate, according to new statistics released by Israeli authorities on Thursday. Israel, meantime, hit more than 720 Iranian military infrastructure targets and eight nuclear-related sites, Israel said.
Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace.
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Iran has not acknowledged that any such talks would take place, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13.
Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed Wednesday to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s cooperation with the IAEA, which has monitored the program for years.