Ayatollah Khamenei has dismissed the US president’s demand for surrender and cautioned against American military action
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that military intervention by the United States against Iran would lead to “irreparable damage.” These comments come after a succession of more aggressive warnings from US President Donald Trump.
In recent days, Trump has cautioned that American forces stand ready to act should Iran target any US assets, and has suggested Khamenei could be an “easy target.”
“We are not going to take him out—at least not for now,” Trump stated on his Truth Social account. Through other online messages, he asserted that Iran “must surrender” and proclaimed the US held “complete and total control of the skies over Iran.”
In a televised address on Wednesday, Khamenei responded to Trump’s threats by asserting that “those with wisdom who know Iran and its history never speak to this nation in the language of threats.”
Iranian media quoted the supreme leader as stating, “Iran is not a nation that will surrender,” and further noted that “any kind of military entry by the US will undoubtedly be accompanied by damage that cannot be compensated.”
Khamenei further characterized Trump’s demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as unacceptable, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic “will not accept an imposed peace.”
“The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” Khamenei declared, also implying that Trump’s comments indicated Washington’s direct participation in Israel’s assault on Iran.
Last Friday, Israel commenced strikes on Iran, asserting that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon. Iran rejected these claims and responded with successive drone and missile attacks on the Jewish state.
Several nations, including Russia, have denounced Israel’s attacks; Russia specifically labeled the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “illegal” and cautioned they might precipitate a “nuclear catastrophe.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also noted that Israel’s actions contravene international law and jeopardize global stability. In a Tuesday statement, the ministry additionally asserted that the broad international censure of Israel’s assault on Iran indicates the Jewish State receives backing only from its “accomplices.”