'Harsh Slap': Iran’s Khamenei Says US Intervention In War Achieved Nothing

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed victory in the war with Israel and said the US’s intervention achieved nothing, in his first comments since a ceasefire came into effect Tuesday.

“The Islamic Republic emerged victorious and delivered a harsh slap to America’s face” he said in a pre-recorded video message, adding the US “gained no achievements from this war.”

The comments come amid conflicting assessments from Washington about the effectiveness of the US strikes. US President Donald Trump claimed key nuclear sites were “obliterated,” disputing a Pentagon intelligence assessment.

Khamenei hasn’t appeared in public since the start of the war on June 13, when Israel launched surprise attacks on nuclear and military targets across Iran. In a frenetic 12-day period, several Iranian military leaders and scientists were killed, the US joined Israel with strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and Tehran targeted a US base in Qatar.

A truce was eventually announced by Trump and has broadly held since — despite early violations threatening to unwind it. 

Khamenei warned that Iran’s enemies “will pay a much higher price” if they attack the country again. Both Israel and Iran have said they would honor the truce provided their counterpart did the same.