Iran's Khamenei hails ‘victory' in first remarks since Israel truce
Iran's Khamenei hails 'victory' in first remarks since Israel truce
TEHRAN - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed on June 26 his country's 'victory' over Israel, in his first public statement since a ceasefire ended 12 days of war earlier this week.
'I want to congratulate the great Iranian nation... for its victory over the fallacious Zionist regime,' Mr Khamenei said in a written statement carried by official IRNA news agency.
He said that arch-enemy Israel 'almost collapsed' following the Islamic republic's retaliatory strikes.
'The Zionist regime almost collapsed and was crushed under the strikes of the Islamic republic.'
Mr Khamenei said that the United States had 'gained nothing' from its attacks that saw nuclear sites hit.
The United States 'engaged in the war directly, convinced that its refusal to intervene would lead to the complete destruction of the Zionist regime', he said.
'It has gained nothing from this war,' Mr Khamenei said of Washington, adding that 'the Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America'. AFP
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