Iran’s Supreme Leader Breaks Silence After US Strikes and Ceasefire
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, has publicly addressed the nation for the first time since recent United States strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and a ceasefire was agreed upon with Israel. In a televised statement, Khamenei offered a defiant assessment, declaring the US failed to achieve “anything significant” from its attacks and claiming victory for Iran in the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
Speaking on Thursday, Khamenei asserted that despite the strikes on key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the US “didn’t gain anything.” He dismissed claims by US officials about the impact of the strikes as “showmanship,” suggesting a different reality behind the rhetoric.
Assessing the Damage: Conflicting Claims
The Supreme Leader’s statement contrasts sharply with assessments from the US and Israel. While a leaked US intelligence report suggested the strikes only set back Iran’s program by “a couple months,” US officials strongly disputed this, with some claiming the facilities were “obliterated” and would take “years” to rebuild. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed an “historic victory,” stating the attacks set back Iran’s capabilities by “many years.”
Khamenei, however, lauded Iran’s armed forces, claiming they successfully managed to “break through” Israel’s defenses to target urban and military areas. He framed Iran’s ability to potentially reach major American military bases in the Middle East as a significant achievement, warning that any future aggression against Iran would come at a great cost and could trigger repeated actions.
Context of Conflict and Ceasefire
The Supreme Leader’s remarks come amidst a period of heightened tension and uncertainty. Reports indicated Khamenei had been sheltering in a “bunker hideout” following the Israeli strikes. He claimed the US only intervened in the conflict because they feared the “Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed” otherwise, and that America “achieved no gains from this war,” unlike Tehran. He suggested Iran had delivered a “hand slap to America’s face,” referencing a retaliatory missile strike on a US base in Qatar that reportedly caused no casualties.
The 12-day period of intense aerial exchanges concluded with a ceasefire agreement, which US President Donald Trump announced as a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.” Despite the pause in fighting, the human cost of the conflict was significant, with reports indicating hundreds of civilian deaths in Iran and dozens in Israel.
Khamenei reiterated his long-standing position that Iran would “never surrender” to the US. The events have also underscored potential concerns about Iran’s internal stability and leadership succession, given the unprecedented nature of the crisis faced by the 86-year-old leader.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to continue working with President Trump to “defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.” The differing accounts of the impact of the strikes and the underlying tensions suggest that despite the ceasefire, the regional security landscape remains precarious.
