Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei congratulated the nation on its “victory” over Israel and said Tehran had “dealt a severe slap” to the US, in his first public statement since a ceasefire began Tuesday.
In a defiant video message carried on state media, the leader, who has not been seen in public since the war with Israel began on June 13, said the US “did not gain anything” from its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“The American regime entered a direct war because it believed that without intervention, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed,” Khamenei said.
The supreme leader’s silence had sparked speculation about his whereabouts, with some Iranians even questioning his health. Officials previously said he was sheltering in a bunker to avoid assassination attempts.
US intelligence reports have provided contradictory assessments of the extent of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear program, which President Donald Trump claimed had been “obliterated” by the attacks.