In his first public address since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared a decisive victory for Iran over both Israel and the United States.
The 86-year-old leader, speaking in a pre-recorded video broadcast on Iranian state television, claimed that Iran had “delivered a severe slap to America’s face” through a retaliatory missile strike on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.
Khamenei, who had not been seen publicly since June 19, appeared speaking flanked by an Iranian flag and a portrait of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He asserted that the U.S. intervened in the conflict only to prevent the “utter destruction” of Israel, but gained nothing from its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The Islamic Republic was victorious, and in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, emphasizing Iran’s ability to target U.S. assets in the region if provoked further.
The Supreme Leader’s speech came amid conflicting narratives about the war’s outcome. U.S. President Donald Trump, who negotiated the ceasefire that took effect on Tuesday, has claimed that American strikes using bunker-buster bombs “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. However, a leaked U.S. intelligence report suggested the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan was limited, prompting accusations of exaggeration from Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declared a “historic victory,” stating that Israel had neutralized Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats.
The speech follows Iran’s parliament approving a bill to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a move awaiting approval from the Guardian Council. This decision signals Tehran’s hardening stance against international oversight of its nuclear program, which it insists is for civilian purposes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Declares Victory in First Post-Ceasefire Address
