Iran Brought Israel to Its Knees, Delivered Heavy Slap to US: Ayatollah Khamenei

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei put an end to speculation about his absence from public view with a televised message, which came shortly after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced.

In a strongly-worded address, Khamenei congratulated the nation, declaring a “victory over the fallacious Zionist regime.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated: “My congratulations on our dear Iran’s victory over the U.S. regime. The U.S. entered the war directly because it believed that without intervention, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. It stepped in to save that regime, but achieved nothing.”

Khamenei emphasized that the Islamic Republic had “delivered a heavy slap” to the United States by targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base, one of Washington’s key military installations in the region.

“With all their noise and lofty claims, the Zionist regime was effectively crippled—crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic,” he said.

He further warned that Iran retains the ability to strike key U.S. positions in the region whenever necessary:

“The Islamic Republic’s access to critical U.S. centers in the region, and its capacity to act at will, is a serious matter. If any aggression occurs again, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”

Khamenei credited Iran’s armed forces for successfully breaching multilayered defense systems, thanking God for assisting them.

“This operation is proof that any attack on the Islamic Republic will come at a steep cost—and that cost has now been made clear,” he added.

He reiterated that the Zionist regime was "brought to its knees and crushed under Iran’s counterattacks."

Turning his focus to the U.S., Khamenei said its efforts to protect Israel had failed, and downplayed reported attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He accused the U.S. President of exaggerating the events in an attempt to hide the truth.

Quoting former U.S. President Donald Trump’s past calls for Iran to surrender, Khamenei claimed that the conflict is no longer centered on nuclear issues.

“This is no longer about enrichment or nuclear concerns; it is about Iran’s surrender,” he declared.

He accused Washington of manufacturing pretexts but said that at its core, the West’s demand is for Iran to surrender.

“This insult to the Iranian nation—this expectation of surrender—will never happen. Iran is a powerful country with an ancient civilization.”

He also criticized past global leaders for staying silent on such demands, stating that no dignified society would accept being told to surrender.

Highlighting Iran’s rich cultural and civilizational legacy, he said: “Iran’s cultural wealth far exceeds that of America and its allies. The notion that Iran would bow down is utterly absurd and will be mocked by any wise observer. The Iranian nation is proud—and will remain proud.”