Trump warns of fresh strikes on Iran, slams Khamenei over 'victory' claims in recent war with Israel
Washington: US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his claim that Iran won its recent 12-day war with Israel, and warned that the United States would "absolutely" bomb the country again if Tehran pursued nuclear weapons, Al Jazeera reported.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump accused Khamenei of "blatantly and foolishly" lying by claiming victory in the war and said he had personally prevented Khamenei's assassination.
"His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life," Trump said.
In Friday's post, Trump said he had demanded Israel pull back from "the final knockout".
Khamenei, in his first public remarks since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Iran conflict earlier this week, said Iran had "slapped America in the face" by launching missiles at a major US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.
Trump said Khamenei's remarks, which he described as "a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust", prompted him to halt talks on lifting sanctions and other diplomatic efforts that could have aided Iran's recovery.
Al Jazeera further reported that Trump made similar bellicose remarks earlier during a White House news conference, where he confirmed he would "without question, absolutely" consider new air strikes if Iran's nuclear programme had not been dismantled.
Iran's response to the strikes has included suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Iran may reject any requests from the agency to inspect nuclear sites, calling Director General Rafael Grossi's insistence on visits "meaningless and possibly even malign in intent." No IAEA inspections have taken place since June 13, when Israel began bombing Iranian facilities, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that Israel remained on a war footing with Iran.
He stated that he had instructed the Israeli military to prepare an enforcement plan aimed at preserving air superiority, halting nuclear and missile development, and responding to Iran's support for terrorist activities.
Katz added that Israel had considered eliminating Khamenei during the conflict and would not have required US approval to do so.
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