Trump suspends possible Iran sanctions relief
US President Donald Trump has announced having halted plans to potentially ease sanctions on Iran, criticizing the Islamic Republic's leadership for claiming victory in its recent standoff with Israel.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday declared that Iran had triumphed over Israel and the US following 12 days of direct military hostilities. The confrontation began when Israel killed senior Iranian commanders and targeted its nuclear sites. The exchange of long-range strikes culminated in the US intervening with the use of bunker-busting bombs on Iran's fortified Fordow facility and two other locations.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump – who had backed Israel's campaign – accused Khamenei of 'blatantly and foolishly' declaring victory, calling the statement 'a lie' and insisting it was 'not so.'
He said he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of 'biting' US sanctions but reversed course after hearing Khamenei's remarks.
'Instead, I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,' he wrote.
Trump, who had earlier claimed that Khamenei would be 'an easy target,' insisted he knew the supreme leader's exact location during the war but refused to authorize a strike.
'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!' he wrote.
He added that he had personally intervened to block a major Israeli airstrike that would have killed 'many Iranians,' describing it as 'the biggest attack of the War, by far.'
Khamenei had earlier claimed that Iran's retaliatory strikes left Israel 'practically knocked out and crushed,' forcing the US to step in to defend its ally.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on June 13 targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as senior commanders and nuclear scientists, in what it described as a mission to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining its nuclear activities are peaceful. It has repeatedly criticized the US sanctions as illegal and unjustified.
The Trump administration moved to restrict Iran's oil trade as part of its 'maximum pressure' campaign reimposed after Washington's withdrawal in 2018 from the 2015 nuclear deal. Last month, Trump warned that countries buying Iranian oil or petrochemicals would face secondary sanctions.
Moscow denounced the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran as 'illegitimate' and a violation of international law. Commenting on the ceasefire announced by Trump on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it 'can and should be welcomed.' Moscow hopes it 'proves to be sustainable,' he added.
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