Khamenei says Iran won't surrender and warns Trump of 'irreparable' damage if US joins Israel war
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared that his country 'will not surrender ', in response to remarks made by US President Donald Trump.
He also warned that any direct American involvement in Israel's war would lead to 'irreparable' consequences for the United States.
"The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn't frightened by such threats," he declared in a televised speech on Wednesday.
"It isn't wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation," he added.
Tehran had threatened to target US military bases in the region if the US entered the war.
"The US entering this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter. The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily," said Mr Khamenei.
He was responding after Mr Trump demanded Tehran's 'unconditional surrender' and said America's patience is wearing thin, apparently paving the way for the US to join Israel's war against Iran.
In two posts on Truth Social on Tuesday, Mr Trump warned Mr Khamenei that the US knows where he is "hiding" but does not plan to kill him, "at least for now". In a subsequent post, he wrote simply: "Unconditional surrender!"
Mr Trump had earlier said "we" have control of the skies above Iran, and hailed the use of US-made weapons. His remarks came after he urged Tehran's residents to evacuate the Iranian capital. Residents poured out of the city, and shops and the historic Grand Bazaar were closed on Tuesday.
Must be punished
Mr Trump flew back to Washington late on Monday, cutting short his trip to the G7 summit in Canada to confer with his national security team as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth day.
His comments were a far cry from earlier messages, in which he maintained that a US-Iranian nuclear deal remained within reach.
In his second revised message since the war started on Friday, the Iranian leader praised the ' firm and courageous stance of the Iranian nation' in the face of the Israeli attacks.
He stressed that the Iranian nation 'firmly stands against any imposed peace. The Iranian nation will not capitulate to anyone in the face of coercion".
Israeli strikes have hit several nuclear and military sites, killing top generals, nuclear scientists and hundreds of civilians.
Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 20 people in Israel and wounded hundreds. Some have hit apartment buildings in central Israel, causing heavy damage, and air raid sirens have repeatedly forced Israelis to run for shelter.
Iran has fired fewer missiles as the conflict has worn on. It has not explained the decline, but Israel has targeted launchers and other infrastructure related to the missiles.
Mr Khamenei acknowledged that "there was no indication on the part of Iran that signalled a military move", as the Israeli attack took place at a time when Iranian officials were engaged in negotiations with the US.
"It was already suspected that the US was involved in the malicious move carried out by the Zionist regime, but considering their recent remarks, this suspicion is growing stronger day by day," he added.
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