Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei After Israel-Iran War: 'We Won'; Israel Was 'Almost Completely Crushed Beneath The Missiles Of The Islamic Republic'; Iran 'Dealt A Severe Blow To America's Face'

Memri

a day ago

In a celebratory victory speech from his bunker on June 26, 2025, marking the end of the 12-day Israel-Iran war, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressed that the Zionist regime had been almost completely crushed by Iran's missiles. He congratulated the Iranian people for three main triumphs: the collapse of Israel's military due to Iran's strikes; the failure of the U.S., that had entered the fray to save Israel but had been defeated and humiliated; and the national unity shown by the Iranian people, who had stood as one alongside Iran's armed forces.
According to Khamenei, the U.S. responses – first and foremost President Trump's demand that Iran surrender – revealed that the U.S.'s main intention all along was not negotiations but forcing Iran into complete surrender. Calling this demand unreasonable, he said that it only shows the scope of Washington's fear of an independent Islamic regime, and clarified that Iran will never surrender.
In addition, during the days he spent in his secure bunker, Khamenei posted several announcements on his X account about Israel's collapse and about reenacting the seventh-century battles fought by Imam Ali and the Prophet Muhammad against the Jews at Khaybar in the Arabian Peninsula.
The following is a translation of Khamenei's speech and X posts:
Supreme Leader Khamenei: "The Zionist Regime Was Almost Completely Crushed Beneath The Missiles Of The Islamic Republic"
In his June 26 victory speech, from his bunker, Khamenei congratulated the Iranian people on Iran's double victory – against Israel, which he said had been "almost completely crushed" by Iran's missiles, and against the U.S. He stated that all the U.S.'s excuses were aimed at concealing one single demand – that the Iranian people concede its position in the negotiations – but that this would never happen. He concluded his speech with a prayer for continued Iranian victories and for the help of the Hidden Imam, the Mahdi. He said:
"Peace and blessings to the dear and noble people of Iran. First of all, I express esteem for the dear martyrs of the recent events – the martyr commanders, the martyr scientists – who were, truly and sincerely, precious and valuable to the Islamic Republic, and who served it. Today, with Allah's help, they are being rewarded for their excellent service before the Creator.
"I see fit to congratulate the storied Iranian people [on three main issues]...:"
"The Victory Over The Artificial Zionist Regime"
"First, [I extend] congratulations for the victory over the artificial Zionist regime. The Zionist regime, with all its commotion and all its pretensions, was trampled and almost completely crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic. The thought that such blows could be dealt to this regime [Israel] by the Islamic Republic had never occurred to them – but it happened." We thank Allah, who helped our armed forces overcome their advanced, multilayered defense system, and to raze to the ground many areas, both civilian and military, with [our] missiles and advanced weapons.
"This [victory] is one of the greatest divine blessings. It shows the Zionist regime that it must know that aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran will cost it dearly and cause it great damage. And this happened, with Allah's help. The honor for this belongs to the armed forces and to our dear people, who established these forces from amongst themselves, who educated them, supported them, and strengthened their hand so that they could carry out such a great operation."
"The Victory Of Our Dear Iran Over The American Regime"
"The second congratulations concerns the victory of our dear Iran over the American regime. The American regime entered into a direct clash [with Iran] because it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would have been completely destroyed. It entered the battle to save it, but gained nothing. They attacked our nuclear centers – in itself a matter for independent legal handling in the international courts – but did not succeed in carrying out any significant action.
"The U.S. president's description of what happened was extremely exaggerated, and in the end this exaggeration was necessary. Anyone who heard his words realized that beneath the surface was a different truth. They [the Americans] did not manage to do a thing; they did not attain their aims; and they are inflating [what they managed to do] in order to hide and obscure the truth.
"Here too, the Islamic Republic triumphed, and dealt a severe blow to America's face. It attacked one of America's main bases in the region, the Al-Udeid base [in Qatar], damaging it. Those who exaggerated the first incident tried to downplay [this Iranian attack] and pretend that nothing had happened, when this was a major event. The fact that the Islamic Republic succeeded in reaching America's important centers in the region, and that it will [now] be able to act against them whenever necessary, is not a small thing – it is important. Such an event could recur in the future, and, in the event of [more] aggression, the price paid by the enemy and the aggressor will certainly be heavy."
Khamenei speaks from his bunker (Source: Tasnim, June 26, 2025)
"The Unity And Exceptional Consent Of The Iranian People"
"The third congratulations is for the unity and the exceptional consent of the Iranian people. With Allah's help, a people who numbers 90 million souls stood as one, with one voice, shoulder to shoulder, side by side, with no difference in the demands and goals that they expressed. They shouted, spoke, and supported the activity of the armed forces, and it will be like this in the future as well. The Iranian people demonstrated its nobility and its prominent and unique character, and showed that in times of need, one voice will be heard from them. With Allah's help, this happened.
"A point I would like to make is that the U.S. president said in one of his declarations that 'Iran must surrender.' Surrender! The discussion is no longer about enrichment or about the nuclear industry. We are talking about Iran surrendering. Of course, these words are too big for the American president's mouth. Noble Iran, with its history, with its culture, with its national and steely determination – the mere mention of the word 'surrender' in the context of such a country is ridiculous to anyone who knows the Iranian people.
"At the same time, his words revealed an important truth. The Americans have been clashing with Islamic Iran since the beginning of the [1979 Islamic] revolution, and they try to get to it every time under a different pretext. One time it's the name of human rights, sometimes it's in the name of defending democracy, and another time it's the name of women's rights; other times it is in the name of enrichment, the nuclear issue itself, or because of [Iran's] missile development. They come up with different excuses, but the essence is always the same – subjugating Iran.
"Previous [presidents] did not say this openly, because no human reason accepts saying 'let's surrender' to an entire people. Thus, they concealed their intention behind other titles. But this man [President Trump] exposed the truth, showing and clarifying that the Americans will settle for nothing less than Iran's surrender, and this is a very important point. The Iranian people must know that this is the reason for the confrontation with America, and that the Americans are carrying on their backs a grave insult to [deliver to] the Iranian people. But such an event will never happen. Never.
"The Iranian people is a great people. Iran is a strong and vast country, with an ancient culture. Our cultural and civilizational treasures are several hundred times greater than those of America and its ilk. The expectation that anyone will think that Iran will surrender to another country is one of those baseless nonsensical [statements] that will surely be the butt of jokes by the intelligent and knowledgeable. The Iranian people is and will remain a noble people, and is victorious and will continue to triumph, with the help of divine guidance. We hope that the Almighty God will continue to protect this nation under His grace, that He will elevate heavenward the greatness of our great Imam...
"Peace and God's mercy and blessing be upon you."[1]
Khamenei On X: "With All Its Commotion And Pretensions, With All Its Statements, The Zionist Regime Was On The Verge Of Collapse, Crushed Under The Blows Of The Islamic Republic"
The same day, June 26, Supreme Leader Khamenei posted on his official X account a message from his speech, accompanied by an AI-generated image demonstrating his words. He wrote:
"With all its commotion and pretensions, with all its statements, the Zionist regime was on the verge of collapse, crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic." The image showed a giant army boot stomping on the Israeli flag as Iranian missiles rained down on Israeli cities.[2]
X.com/Khamenei_fa/status/1938189266783252900, June 16, 2025.
The next day, June 27, Khamenei posted another AI-generated graphic on his X account demonstrating what he described as Israel being crushed. It depicted the Jewish menorah, the symbol of the State of Israel, with its seven arms set on fire by Iranian missiles and crumbling into ash amid the ruins of the city, as Israel's population thronged like vermin to the shore to try to board boats, since Israel's airspace was closed. It stated: "The Zionist regime, with all its commotion and all its pretensions, was trampled and almost completely # crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic. The thought that such blows could be dealt to this regime [Israel] by the Islamic Republic had never occurred to them – but it happened." It concluded in Hebrew, "Israel is crushed."[3]
X.com/Khamenei_fa/status/1938349330924281859, June 27, 2025.
Khamenei On X: "[Imam] Ali Returns To Khaybar With [His Double-Bladed Sword] Zulfiqar – Allah Akbar"
Earlier, on June 18, Khamenei posted on X a well-known Muslim battle cry for massacring Jews. In 627 CE, Ali (aka Haidar), the first Shi'a imam and the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, participated in the campaign against the Jewish tribe, the Banu Qurayza in the Arabian Peninsula. The Jews were massacred in the Battle of Khaybar, where they lived. To this day, the antisemitic call "Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return" is chanted as a threat to Jewish communities.[4] Zulfiqar is Ali's double-bladed sword, and it is considered a symbol of Islam. The post was accompanied by an AI-generated image of the Battle of Khaybar.
Khamenei wrote in his post: "In the name of the renowned # Haidar [Ali], the battle begins. [Imam] Ali returns to # Khaybar with his Zulfiqar. # Allah Akbar."[5]
X.com/Khamenei_fa/status/1935091514083778752, June 18, 2025.