BREAKING: Khamenei Roars, Sparks Global Shock With Bold War Claim

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Thursday, June 26, 2025, that the United States had “gained nothing” from its recent military strikes during a short but intense 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, during which American forces bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.

Speaking in a rare, televised address, the 86-year-old leader claimed Iran had emerged victorious and delivered what he described as a “severe slap” to Washington.

Broadcast from an undisclosed location, Khamenei stated, “The U.S. intervened directly in this war, believing that if it stayed out, the Zionist regime would collapse.

But it has achieved nothing.” He added ominously, “Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”

Khamenei’s remarks came just days after a dramatic escalation in the conflict.

On Sunday, American forces launched a coordinated strike using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, targeting three of Iran’s key nuclear sites.

These include the heavily fortified Fordo facility.

U.S. officials later claimed the mission had significantly disrupted Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran responded swiftly on Monday by launching a retaliatory missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar. Though the attack caused no casualties, it underscored the regional volatility and the risks of a broader confrontation.

The Supreme Leader had remained out of public view since June 13, when the conflict erupted following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and senior military figures.

That initial strike is believed to have triggered the chain of retaliations that pulled the U.S. into direct military engagement.

Damage Disputed

Back in Washington, the extent of damage from the U.S. strikes remains a subject of heated debate.

A leaked intelligence assessment, first reported by CNN, suggested the operation may have only temporarily set back Iran’s nuclear capabilities, by months rather than years.

Analysts raised concerns that Iran may have preemptively relocated around 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, now potentially hidden deep within its vast territory.

President Donald Trump, however, painted a more triumphant picture.

“We obliterated their nuclear facilities,” he said in remarks late Wednesday.

“Fordo is gone. We’ve pushed their program back decades.”

Trump announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he dubbed “the war secretary”, would hold a briefing on Thursday to “defend the honor of our brave American pilots.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe supported the president’s account, saying, “Several key nuclear facilities have been destroyed and will take years to rebuild.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli military had dealt a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“We have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project,” he said. “If they try to rebuild it, we will strike again with the same intensity.”

Fallout and Future Talks

The human cost of the war has been steep.

Iran’s health ministry reported that 627 civilians were killed during the Israeli strikes, while Iran’s attacks on Israel left 28 dead, according to Israeli authorities.

A state funeral in Tehran is planned for Saturday to honor the scientists and military commanders who were killed.

The conflict has also thrown ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. into disarray.

However, both sides now appear open to resuming talks.

Trump confirmed that discussions with Iranian officials are scheduled for next week. “Both sides are exhausted,” he told reporters. “We may sign an agreement. I don’t know.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry, while acknowledging the damage to its nuclear infrastructure, reaffirmed its stance that it does not seek nuclear weapons.

“Our rights to peaceful nuclear energy remain non-negotiable,” spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera.

However, he noted that Iran remains open to renewed dialogue with Washington.

For now, the ceasefire negotiated by Trump on Tuesday appears to be holding.

But with deep mistrust on all sides and the region still reeling from nearly two weeks of strikes and counterstrikes, the path to lasting peace remains uncertain.

As Khamenei put it, “Victory belongs to the patient.”

Whether that patience will be tested again soon is a question the world will be watching closely.

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