Iran's Khamenei slams Trump's 'surrender' demand; calls US 'defeated'
What's the story
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has slammed United States President Donald Trump's demand for Iran to surrender. In a post on social media platform X, Khamenei wrote, "US President stated, 'Iran must surrender.' Needless to say, this statement is too big to come out of the US president's mouth." This comes after Trump called for "unconditional surrender" from Iran during the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Twitter Post
Khamenei's post on X
The US President stated, "Iran must surrender." Needless to say, this statement is too big to come out of the US president's mouth.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 26, 2025
Victory claim
'US entered the war to save Israel...'
In his first public address since the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, Khamenei declared victory for Iran in the conflict. He dismissed Trump's claims of a "spectacular military success," saying that the US "achieved nothing" from its military strikes. "My congratulations on our dear Iran's victory over the US regime," he said, adding that the US entered the war to save Israel but achieved nothing.
Rising tensions
Conflict escalated after Israel launched 'Operation Rising Lion'
The conflict between Iran and Israel intensified on June 13 when Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities and wiping out the top leadership of its military. In retaliation, Iran launched "Operation True Promise 3," involving missile and drone strikes against Israeli infrastructure. At least 610 Iranians were killed, while 28 people in Israel were killed in counterattacks. The US then carried out strikes on three of Iran's nuclear sites—Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz—under "Operation Midnight Hammer."
Escalating threats
Trump warns of further military action against Iran
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump warned that he could order further military action if Tehran doesn't agree to a satisfactory peace agreement. He said, "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days." The US president also hinted at more potential targets in Iran if peace isn't reached soon.