'Battle Has Begun': Khamenei After Trump's Threats Of Possible US Attack Amid Conflict
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Khamenei announced that the battle has begun, after US President Donald Trump stated that the US knows where Khamenei is hiding amid the Iran-Israel conflict.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday, in a message on X, wrote that the battle has begun.
'In the name of Nami, the battle begins. Ali returns to Khaybar with his Zulfiqar," a translation of his post suggested.
Khamenei's post came hours after US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US knows where Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei is hiding during the Israel-Iran conflict but doesn't want him killed 'for now."
Trump urged, in a social media posting, Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" as the five-day conflict continues to escalate.
'We know exactly where the so-called Supreme Leader is hiding," Trump said.
'He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin." Trump added.
Before his social media post, Trump had urged Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his participation in an international summit to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.
The comments about Khamenei and calls for surrender came shortly after Trump, in a separate posting, touted complete control of the skies over Tehran.
Trump, in the opening days of the conflict, rejected a plan presented by Israel to kill Khamenei, news agency ANI quoted a US official as saying.
The Israelis had informed the Trump administration that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei.
However, White House officials informed the Israelis that Trump opposed such a move. Administration officials were concerned that the plan to kill Khamenei could enflame the conflict and potentially destabilise the region.
Trump returned to the White House from his abbreviated trip to the Group of Seven summit in the Canadian Rockies early Tuesday.
Israel, with five days of missile strikes, has done considerable damage to Iran and believes it can now deal a permanent blow to Tehran's nuclear program, particularly if it gets a little more help from the Republican President.
First Published:
June 18, 2025, 06:59 IST
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