Khamenei Rejects Trump's Call to Surrender, Russia Warns against US Involvement
The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Iran 'will not surrender,' in response to the US President Donald Trump's demand for the country's 'unconditional surrender.' No Surrender
In a televised address, Khamenei threatened that any direct US military involvement in Israel's war against Iran will bring irreparable damage.
'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,' the Iranian Supreme Leader said.
'The US entering in 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,' he added.
Khamenei also said that Israel's attack 'took place at a time when Iranian officials were indirectly engaged in negotiations with the US side. There was no indication on the part of Iran that signaled a military move,' suggesting that suspicion of the US involvement in the attack 'is growing stronger day by day.' Trump's Threats
The Iranian Supreme Leader's remarks came in response to Trump's demand that Tehran should surrender, after hinting at possible US intervention.
'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. 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 wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Then, he followed up with another post apparently aimed at Iran, saying 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Russian Warning
Amid reports suggesting that the Trump administration is weighing joining Israel's war on Iran, Russia warned the US against involvement in the conflict, Reuters reported citing Interfax news agency.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on Wednesday that a US strike on Iran would 'radically destabilize the situation in the Middle East,' warning Washington against direct military assistance to Israel or even considering such 'speculative, conjectural options.'
Similarly, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, warned that Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure meant the world was 'millimeters' from catastrophe. Mediation Offer
Russia and Iran signed a 20-year strategic partnership in January. It also maintains good relations with Israel. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, offered Moscow's mediation to resolve the Iran-Israel conflict during a phone call with Trump on Saturday.
Moreover, Russia expressed its willingness to mediate in the conflict during a phone call between the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, earlier on Saturday.
'Russia confirmed its readiness to continue to contribute to the efforts to resolve the situation regarding Iran's nuclear program and to de-escalate the conflict between Iran and Israel,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Short link :
Post Views: 195
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
UK braces for possible US strike on Iran as Starmer holds emergency talks
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has placed his cabinet on alert for a potential US military strike on Iran, just a day after saying that President Donald Trump had given no indication of direct US involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. According to the Financial Times, senior British officials described the situation as 'grave and volatile.' Discussions within Starmer's team reportedly included the possibility of Trump ordering a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities using the joint US-UK air base at Diego Garcia. The potential for a US attack was discussed during a Whitehall emergency committee meeting on Wednesday, the FT reported, citing officials briefed on the talks. Also on Wednesday, Starmer held a call with Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in which both leaders stressed the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East. 'Underscoring the deep defense and security relationship between the two countries, the prime minister reiterated the UK's support for Qatar and leaders discussed how both countries could further support regional stability,' a spokesperson for Starmer said. Starmer's tone on the situation marks a sharp shift from remarks made at the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, where he told reporters there was 'nothing' Trump had said that indicated he was preparing to intervene in the conflict. However, British officials have since acknowledged that Trump was unlikely to reveal his true intentions over dinner with Western leaders, and described the White House's approach to the crisis as an 'iterative process.'
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel's military warns people to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor
DUBAI: Israel's military warned people Thursday to evacuate the area around Iran's Arak heavy water reactor. The warning came in a social media post on X. It included a satellite image of the plant in a red circle like other warnings that proceeded strikes. The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon. Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns. In 2019, Iran started up the heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, which at the time did not violate Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Britain at the time was helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces, stepping in for the US, which had withdrawn from the project after President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from the nuclear deal. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has been urging Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14. Due to restrictions Iran imposed on inspectors, the IAEA has said it lost 'continuity of knowledge' about Iran's heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile.
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Japan's Nippon seals controversial US Steel deal after Trump pact
NEW YORK — Japanese firm Nippon Steel has completed its long-sought takeover of US Steel, after agreeing to yield unusual control to the US government. Nippon's $14.9bn (£11bn) purchase of the smaller American company, will create one of the world's biggest steelmakers and turns Nippon into a major player in the US. The plan, first announced in 2023, had been seen as a lifeline for the storied but struggling 124-year-old US Steel. But the deal ran into trouble during last year's presidential election, when US President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponents said they were concerned about the foreign acquisition of one of the last major steel producers in the US. However, Trump reversed his stance, after Nippon made concessions which the President said had satisfied his national security concerns. He gave the official green light to the deal in an executive order on agreed to pay $55 per share and take on the company's debt, a deal worth $14.9bn said it had also promised the government it would invest $11bn in US Steel by 2028, including a new facility that would be completed after that also granted the US government a "golden share" in the company, giving the government say over key decisions, including the transfer of jobs or production outside of the US, and certain calls to close or idle also committed to maintain its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and install US citizens to key management positions including its chief executive and the majority of its board."This partnership ensures that US Steel will retain its iconic name and headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and that it will continue to be mined, melted, and made in America for generations to come," Nippon and US Steel said in a statement as shares in US Steel stopped said the deal would "protect and create more than 100,000 jobs".Trump has made protections for the steel industry a key part of his economic agenda, raising tariffs on imports of the metal to 50% to benefit American president said he changed his mind about deal after hearing from local officials, who were alarmed by warnings from US Steel that it might cut jobs without the investment from of the US Steelworkers union had opposed the takeover, which former president Joe Biden blocked in his final weeks of companies subsequently filed a lawsuit accusing him of improperly politicising a national security a statement, the president of the US Steelworkers union said that Nippon's final agreement had granted the president a "startling degree of personal control" over a corporation, while predicting attention on the company would now fade."However, our union will remain. We will continue watching, holding Nippon to its commitments," president David McCall said. — BBC
