Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, has claimed victory over Israel, stating that Iran delivered a "severe slap" and emerged victorious. Image: AFP
(The Post News)- After nearly two weeks underground, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei re-emerged on Thursday to declare what he called a “victory” over Israel and a humiliating “slap in the face” to the United States, following a short but intense war that saw missile strikes, nuclear site bombings, and a fragile ceasefire now in place.
In a recorded message aired on Iranian state television, the 86-year-old leader said the US “gained nothing” from its decision to enter the conflict. “The Islamic Republic emerged victorious and, in return, delivered a harsh slap to America’s face,” Khamenei said, seated in front of plain brown curtains. It was his first public statement since Israel’s opening firing on June 13.
The war began with Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, targeting key scientists and commanders.
The US later joined, hitting three nuclear facilities with cruise missiles and bunker-busting bombs last Sunday. Iran hit back by launching a missile at a US base in Qatar, though no casualties were reported. While Khamenei claimed the American attacks failed to cause serious damage, President Donald Trump insisted they had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme, setting it back by decades. CIA Director John Ratcliffe backed that claim, saying several nuclear sites would take “years” to rebuild.
However, a leaked Pentagon assessment, first reported by CNN, paints a less conclusive picture, suggesting Iran’s programme may have only been delayed by a few months. The debate has raised questions over whether Iran secretly relocated enriched uranium ahead of the strikes, a claim still under investigation.
In a separate move seen as a direct response to the bombings, Iran’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The decision, confirmed Thursday by the Guardian Council, means IAEA inspectors will now need special clearance to visit any nuclear site in Iran.
Speaking to state media, Guardian Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif said the bill was passed to protect “national sovereignty” after what he called “illegal attacks” on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi criticized the decision, telling French radio RFI it could lead to a “new major crisis”. He reminded Tehran that as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it’s still legally bound to allow inspections. “It is a legal obligation, not something that can be unilaterally suspended,” Grossi said.
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