Defiant Khamenei says Iran will ‘never surrender' to the US
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Iran will 'never surrender' to the United States, striking a defiant tone in his first remarks since a ceasefire with Israel took hold.
'The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor of the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,' said Khamenei in a statement and televised speech carried by state media on Thursday. 'Such an event (surrender) will never happen. It will never happen.'
Khamenei's remarks come two days after a ceasefire halted a 12-day war between Iran and Israel – the foes' deadliest and most destructive confrontation – and mark his first public appearance since June 19.
The speech also comes amid conflicting accounts in the US over the extent of the damage inflicted by US strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan during the conflict. US President Donald Trump said the strikes 'obliterated' the nuclear facilities.
But Khamenei said Trump had 'exaggerated' the impact of the attacks and said the US 'gained nothing from this war,' claiming the US strikes 'did nothing significant' to Iran's nuclear facilities.
'The Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America,' he said, a reference to Iran's missile launch targeting a US base in Qatar, the largest in the Middle East, which caused no casualties.
Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said Khamenei also focused on the country's armed forces, to offer them congratulations and counter the claims around the world and in Iran that the army 'has received huge blows from the Israeli attacks'.
While Iranians who fled Tehran during the war have been gradually returning to the city, 'there is a common anxiety among the Iranian people here as well because they believe this was only the first wave of the war,' said Serdar.
'Many are questioning the efficiency of Iran's air defence systems' and feel that Iran could be more vulnerable to a potential future attack from the US and Israel, added Serdar.
In fact, Khamenei said that the Iranian army successfully targeted military and non-military positions, and caused extensive damage in Israel and added that 'if Israel attacks us again, they will see a further destruction', added Serdar.
Khamenei did not threaten the Israelis or Americans with military action in his speech, but did say that the country's nuclear programme remains largely in place – contrary to US statements, said Serdar.
'He said that most of the sites are still in place and that Iran is going to continue its nuclear programme.'
Both Iran and Israel have claimed victory in the 12-day war, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailing on Tuesday a 'historic victory' for Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran has said it is willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.
The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said, while official figures indicate Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people.
A state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the war.
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