Khamenei Congratulates Iranians, Dismisses Trump’s Remarks, Says Iran Will Not Surrender
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday congratulated the Iranian people on what he described as a “victory over Israel,” marking his first public statement following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The message was shared via the social media platform X.
Khamenei stated that the recent military confrontation had brought Israel close to collapse, according to his remarks.
In a speech reported by Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, the Supreme Leader characterized the Israeli attack on Iran as a significant challenge. However, he described Iran’s response as “powerful and effective,” adding that the Israeli system was, in his words, “on the verge of collapse under Iranian strikes.”
Khamenei extended multiple congratulatory messages to the Iranian public. The first referenced what he termed a “victory over Israel,” while the second addressed what he called a “victory over the United States.” He claimed that Washington had intervened militarily to prevent the fall of Israel, but asserted that Iran delivered a “strong blow” to the U.S., according to his remarks.
He further emphasized the sense of national unity in Iran during the conflict, noting that the country’s population of approximately 90 million had demonstrated “cohesion and clear support” for the armed forces—a dynamic he said would continue.
Khamenei also criticized what he called U.S. “exaggerations” regarding the reported impact of attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He argued that such claims aimed to obscure the actual outcomes.
He warned that any future attacks against Iran would result in direct targeting of U.S. military bases, and accused international actors of downplaying Iran’s response while amplifying the scale of the American offensive.
The Iranian leader also rejected a recent call by the U.S. President for Iran to agree to an “unconditional surrender,” describing the proposal as disproportionate. He claimed that the U.S. seeks total capitulation, which he asserted would not happen, citing Iran’s resilience.
Khamenei concluded by stating that, in his view, issues such as missiles and the nuclear program are being used as pretexts, while the real objective of Iran’s adversaries is to compel surrender—a scenario he firmly ruled out.
Read also: A Difficult and Painful Day for Israelis: Senior Officials Mourn Fallen Soldiers
