Latest news with #AyatollahKhamenei
Mint
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Trump ‘knew' where Ayatollah Khamenei hid during Iran-Israel conflict: ‘Saved him from very ugly death'
United States President Donald Trump claimed on Friday, June 27, that he knew exactly where Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei sheltered during the conflict with Israel as he credited himself with saving his life from what he called was 'very ugly death'. Reacting sternly to Khamenei's first remarks after 12-day conflict with Israel, Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social, 'I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR.' 'Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader,' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie,' Donald Trump said. Reiterating that the US struck nuclear strikes in Iran and 'obliterated' them, Donald Trump said, '…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.' 'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH.' He said, 'Tremendous damage would have ensued, and many Iranians would have been killed. It was going to be the biggest attack of the War, by far.' Donald Trump also announced that he had dropped sanctions relief for Iran following Ayatollah Khamenei's statement. 'During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery - The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,' Trump said. The US President also said that he would 'without question' consider bombing Iran again. Speaking with reporters at the White House days after taking credit for stopping conflict between Israel and Iran, Donald Trump said he would 'absolutely' strike Iran if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels. Ayatollah Khamanei said Iran "slapped America in the face" by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender.
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Trump lambasts Khamenei, says he'd bomb Iran if nuclear activities restart
President Donald Trump has hit out at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's claim that Iran won its recent 12-day war with Israel, also saying the United States will 'absolutely' bomb the country again if it pursues nuclear weapons. The US president launched a torrent of abuse at Iran's Supreme Leader on his Truth Social platform on Friday, claiming he had saved Khamenei from 'A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH' and accusing him of 'blatantly and foolishly' lying when he claimed 'victory' in the war the previous day. In his first sortie since the Israel-Iran war ended with a ceasefire earlier this week, Khamenei had also said Iran 'slapped America in the face' by launching missiles at a major US base in Qatar following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. In Friday's post, Trump said he had demanded Israel pull back from 'the final knockout'. '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,' he said. The question of whether US attacks destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities is moot – a leaked intelligence report contradicted Trump's account of events, suggesting the military's strikes had set the country back by mere months. The US president said that Khamenei's comments, which he described as 'a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust', had led him to drop work on 'the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery'. Future of nuclear programme Trump's rant against Khamenei came on the back of bellicose comments earlier that day at a White House news conference. Asked whether he would consider new air strikes if the recent attacks had not succeeded in ending Iran's nuclear weapons programme, Trump said, 'Sure, without question, absolutely.' He said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites. But Iran has approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, a move widely seen as a direct response to the strikes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites. '[IAEA Director General] Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent,' Araghchi said on X. 'Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty.' Grossi said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority, as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz indicated on Friday that his country might still be on a war footing with Iran, saying he had instructed the military to prepare an enforcement plan against the country. The plan 'includes maintaining Israel's air superiority, preventing nuclear advancement and missile production, and responses to Iran for supporting terrorist activities against Israel', Katz said. Katz said on Thursday that Israel had wanted to 'eliminate' Khamenei and would not have required US permission to do so.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Trump says he would 'absolutely' consider bombing Iran again
US President Donald Trump has said he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran to a question from the BBC's Nomia Iqbal at a White House press briefing, he said he would "without question" attack the country if intelligence concluded Iran could enrich uranium to concerning US became directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran last weekend, striking key nuclear sites with "bunker buster" bombs before Trump rapidly sought a ceasefire. In a speech on Thursday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes had achieved nothing significant, but on Friday Trump repeated his claim that the country's nuclear sites had been "obliterated". Iranian foreign minister admits serious damage to nuclear sitesHow a volatile 24 hours edged Iran and Israel to a ceasefireUS gained nothing from strikes, Iran's supreme leader says Posting on his social media platform Truth Social later on Friday, Trump said he knew "EXACTLY" where the ayatollah had been sheltering and that he had personally stopped Israeli and US armed forces from targeting is understood the Iranian leader was forced into hiding during his country's two-week war with Israel. All parties in the conflict have claimed victory, with the ayatollah telling Iranians that Israel and Iran had failed to disrupt the country's nuclear the country's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi later admitted "excessive and serious" damage was done to the country's nuclear sites by the recent US and Israeli bombings. Reacting to the ayatollah's comments, Trump repeated his assertions that Iran was "decimated"."Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie," Trump added. Trump claimed he had been "working on the possible removal of sanctions" against Iran, but had decided to "immediately" drop all work on sanction relief after the ayatollah released his statement of "anger, hatred and disgust". Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is only intended for civilian latest conflict between Israel and Iran started when Israel launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure, with a number of nuclear scientists and military commanders killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time".CBS News, the BBC's US partner, reported the White House had been considering a range of options to entice Iran back to the negotiating table, including facilitating funding for a civilian, non-enrichment, nuclear Iran has denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the US, after Trump said at a Nato summit in the Hague on Wednesday that negotiations were set to begin again next health ministry said 610 people were killed during the 12 days of air attacks, while Israeli authorities said 28 were killed in Israel.
CNA
16 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Alive but weakened, Iran's Khamenei faces new challenges
PARIS: Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has re-emerged after the war with Israel but faces a struggle to maintain the authority he has wielded over the Islamic Republic in over three-and-a-half decades of rule, analysts say. After days of silence, Khamenei appeared on Thursday (Jun 26) in a video address to proclaim "victory" and prove he is still alive following the 12-day conflict with Israel, which ended with a truce earlier this week. But Khamenei, appointed Iran's number one and spiritual leader for life in 1989, spoke softly and hoarsely in the address, without the charismatic oratory for which he is known. Whereas his regular interventions before the war usually took place in public in front of an audience, this message was filmed against a plain backdrop of curtains and a picture of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This may indicate he could still be in hiding after Israel refused to rule out seeking to assassinate him. On Thursday, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz told media that the military would have killed Khamenei during the war if the opportunity had presented itself. "If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out," Katz told Israel's public radio station Kan, adding that the military had "searched a lot". But in the end, the conflict did not trigger the removal of the system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution. Still, it enabled Israel to demonstrate military superiority and deep intelligence penetration of Iran by killing key members of Khamenei's inner circle in targeted strikes. The war was also the latest in a series of setbacks over the last year for Khamenei. These include the downgrading of pro-Tehran militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in conflicts with Israel and the fall of Iran's ally in Syria Bashar al-Assad, against the background of economic crisis and energy shortages at home. "At this time, the regime does not seem to be on the verge of falling but it is certainly more vulnerable than it has been since the early years after the revolution," said Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa. "DIMINISHED FIGURE" "The authority of the supreme leader has therefore certainly been undermined," Juneau told AFP. "Even though his position remains secure, in that there is unlikely to be a direct challenge to his rule for now, he has lost credibility and bears direct responsibility for the Islamic republic's major losses." Khamenei is 86 and suffers the effects of a 1981 assassination attempt in Tehran which paralysed his right arm, a disability he has never made any attempt to hide. But discussion of succession has remained taboo in Iran, even if Western analysts have long eyed his son Mojtaba as a possible - but far from inevitable - contender. Arash Azizi, visiting fellow at Boston University, said Khamenei looked "frail and weak" in his televised message in "a far cry from the grand orator we know". "It's clear that he is a diminished figure, no longer authoritative and a shadow of his former self," he said. "Power in Tehran is already passing to different institutions and factions and the battle for his succession will only intensify in the coming period." Khamenei has come through crises before, using the state's levers of repression, most recently during the 2022 to 2023 protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd detained for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women. "SIDELINED"? The New York Times and Iran International, a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran that is critical of the authorities, have said Khamenei spent the war in a bunker avoiding use of digital communication for fear of being tracked and assassinated. Iran International reported that Khamenei was not even involved in the discussions that led to the truce which were handled by the national security council and President Masoud Pezeshkian. There has been no confirmation of this claim. Jason Brodsky, policy director at the US-based United Against Nuclear Iran, said Khamenei appeared "frail and hoarse" and also "detached from reality" in insisting that Iran's nuclear programme did not suffer significant damage. "Nevertheless, I remain sceptical of the theories that Khamenei has been sidelined," he told AFP.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alive but weakened, Iran's Khamenei faces new challenges
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has re-emerged after the war with Israel but faces a struggle to maintain the authority he has wielded over the Islamic republic in over three-and-a-half decades of rule, analysts say. After days of silence, Khamenei appeared on Thursday in a video address to proclaim "victory" and prove he is still alive following the 12-day conflict with Israel which ended with a truce earlier this week. But Khamenei, appointed Iran's number one and spiritual leader for life in 1989, spoke softly and hoarsely in the address, without the charismatic oratory for which he is known. Whereas his regular interventions before the war usually took place in public in front of an audience, this message was filmed against a plain backdrop of curtains and a picture of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This may indicate he could still be in hiding after Israel refused to rule out seeking to assassinate him. On Thursday, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz told media that the military would have killed Khamenei during the war if the opportunity had presented itself. "If he had been in our sights, we would have taken him out," Katz told Israel's public radio station Kan, adding that the military had "searched a lot". But in the end, the conflict did not trigger the removal of the system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution. Still, it enabled Israel to demonstrate military superiority and deep intelligence penetration of Iran by killing key members of Khamenei's inner circle in targeted strikes. The war was also the latest in a series of setbacks over the last year for Khamenei. These include the downgrading of pro-Tehran militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in conflicts with Israel and the fall of Iran's ally in Syria Bashar al-Assad, against the background of economic crisis and energy shortages at home. "At this time, the regime does not seem to be on the verge of falling but it is certainly more vulnerable than it has been since the early years after the revolution," said Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa. - 'Diminished figure' - "The authority of the supreme leader has therefore certainly been undermined," Juneau told AFP. "Even though his position remains secure, in that there is unlikely to be a direct challenge to his rule for now, he has lost credibility and bears direct responsibility for the Islamic republic's major losses." Khamenei is 86 and suffers the effects of a 1981 assassination attempt in Tehran which paralysed his right arm, a disability he has never made any attempt to hide. But discussion of succession has remained taboo in Iran, even if Western analysts have long eyed his son Mojtaba as a possible -- but far from inevitable -- contender. Arash Azizi, visiting fellow at Boston University, said Khamenei looked "frail and weak" in his televised message in "a far cry from the grand orator we know". "It's clear that he is a diminished figure, no longer authoritative and a shadow of his former self," he said. "Power in Tehran is already passing to different institutions and factions and the battle for his succession will only intensify in the coming period." Khamenei has come through crises before, using the state's levers of repression, most recently during the 2022-2023 protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd detained for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women. Rights activists say hundreds of people have been arrested in a new crackdown in the wake of the conflict. - 'Sidelined'? - The New York Times and Iran International, a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran that is critical of the authorities, have said Khamenei spent the war in a bunker avoiding use of digital communication for fear of being tracked and assassinated. Iran International reported that Khamenei was not even involved in the discussions that led to the truce which were handled by the national security council and President Masoud Pezeshkian. There has been no confirmation of this claim. Jason Brodsky, policy director at the US-based United Against Nuclear Iran, said Khamenei appeared "frail and hoarse" and also "detached from reality" in insisting that Iran's nuclear programme did not suffer significant damage. "Nevertheless, I remain sceptical of the theories that Khamenei has been sidelined," he told AFP. "I have no doubt the war will prompt a debate within the Islamic Republic's political elite as to how best to rebuild the system's capabilities, but in the end, the buck has always stopped with Khamenei," he said. sjw/ah/ser
