Iran’s supreme leader makes first public statement since ceasefire
declared in Israel-Iran war
[June 26, 2025]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed victory over Israel and said his country
had “delivered a hand slap to America’s face” on Thursday, in his first
public comments since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the
two countries.
Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his
first appearance since June 19. |
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the
Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to
a group of people and officials in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 21, 2025.
(Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) |
|
He told viewers that the U.S. had only intervened in the war
because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist
regime would be utterly destroyed.”
But he said, however, that the U.S. “achieved no gains from this
war.
“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation,
delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, in apparent
reference to an Iranian missile attack on an American base in
Qatar on Monday, which caused no casualties.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows
below.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei claimed victory over Israel on Thursday in his first
public statement since a ceasefire was declared in the war
between the two countries.
Khamenei hasn't been seen in public since taking shelter in a
secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when
Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top
military commanders and scientists.
Following a massive American attack on June 22 that hit the
nuclear sites with bunker-buster bombs, U.S. President Donald
Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into
effect on Tuesday.
Khameni did release a video message on June 19 during the war,
and Iranian state television and the supreme leader’s own social
media pages announced that he would be releasing another video
message to Iran on Thursday.
In his first comment posted on X, he offered his
“congratulations on the victory” over Israel.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
|
