Trump says would bomb Iran again if nuclear activities start
US President Donald Trump said Friday he had saved Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from assassination and lashed out at the supreme leader for ingratitude, declaring he would order more bombing if the country tried to pursue nuclear weapons.
In an extraordinary outburst on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran for claiming to have won its war with Israel and said he was halting work on possible sanctions relief.
The tirade came as Iran prepared to hold a state funeral for 60 nuclear scientists and military commanders who were killed in the 12-day bombing blitz Israel launched on June 13.
Iran says the scientists were among a total of at least 627 civilians killed.
Trump said the United States would bomb Iran again "without question" if intelligence indicated it was able to enrich uranium to military grade.
Iran has consistently denied any ambition to develop a nuclear arsenal.
Trump accused the Iranian leader of ingratitude after Khamenei said in a defiant message that reports of damage to nuclear facilities were exaggerated and that Tehran had dealt Washington a "slap" in the face.
"I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life," Trump posted.
"I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'"
Trump also said that he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, one of Tehran's main demands.
"But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump added, exhorting Iran to return to the negotiating table.
Iran has denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the United States, after Trump said that negotiations were set to begin again next week.
Its government on Friday rejected a request by Rafael Grossi, the director of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, to visit facilities bombed by Israel and the United States, saying it suggested "malign intent."
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hit out at Grossi personally in a post on X for not speaking out against the air strikes, accusing him of an "astounding betrayal of his duties."
- 'Beat to hell' -
Asked earlier in a White House press conference whether he would consider fresh air strikes if last week's sorties were not successful in ending Iran's nuclear ambitions, Trump said: "Sure. Without question. Absolutely."
Trump added that Khamenei and Iran "got beat to hell".
The war of words came with a fragile ceasefire holding in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Speculation had swirled about the fate of Khamenei before his first appearance since the ceasefire -- a televised speech on Thursday.
Khamenei hailed what he described as Iran's "victory" over Israel, vowing never to yield to US pressure.
"The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration," the Iranian leader said.
It was unclear if Khamenei would attend Saturday's state funeral in Tehran.
The commemorations begin at 8:00 am (0430 GMT) at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, to be followed by a funeral procession to Azadi Square, about 11 kilometres (seven miles) across the sprawling metropolis.
In a televised interview on Friday, Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran's Islamic Development Coordination Council, had vowed it would be a "historic day for Islamic Iran and the revolution".
On the first day of the war on June 13, Israel killed Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami.
He will be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony, which will also honour at least 30 other top commanders.
Armed forces chief of staff General Mohammad Bagheri will be buried with his wife and journalist daughter who were killed alongside him in an Israeli strike.
Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony, four are women and four are children.
Tehran is still coming to terms with the damage wrought by Israel's bombing campaign, the capital's first taste of war since the devastating 1980-88 conflict with Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
Israel bombed multiple residential neighbourhoods as it killed the senior figures being laid to rest on Saturday, many of them in their own homes.
Retaliatory drone and missile fire by Iran killed 28 people in Israel, according to official figures.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
US president says he could bomb Iran again, as 3,200 Australians and family members register with DFAT
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The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
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The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Trump warns US could bomb Iran again if uranium enrichment resumes
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday: 'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers.' Trump also said he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran in recent days, to give the Middle Eastern country a chance for a speedy recovery. But, he said, he had now abandoned that effort. 'I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,' he said. The president said on Wednesday that the US and Iran would talk next week and 'may' sign an agreement. Tehran has denied that discussions are scheduled to resume. Strikes 'without question' Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again when asked about the possibility of new bombing of its nuclear sites if deemed necessary. 'Sure, without question, absolutely,' he said. Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the UN nuclear watchdog – or another respected body to inspect the nuclear facilities after they were bombed last weekend. The president has rejected any suggestion that the damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said. Loading IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said this week that ensuring the resumption of inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began attacking Iran on June 13. The IAEA reported in May that Iran had amassed 409 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent – an almost 50 per cent increase from the volume recorded three months prior. Iran maintains that its nuclear program has no military dimension. But on June 12, the IAEA said Iran had breached its responsibilities to co-operate with inspectors and that the agency was unable to determine whether the country's nuclear program was 'exclusively peaceful'. The location of Iran's highly enriched uranium is now an open question. According to Grossi, it was last seen by agency monitors a few days before the start of Israel's bombing campaign, which provoked a halt to inspections. At that point, the stockpile was at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology and Research Centre, a hub for chemical processes that turn uranium ore into feedstock that can be enriched. This facility in central Iran was targeted by Israel and later the US. Iran said in a note circulated at the IAEA and dated three weeks before Israel's first strike that in the event of such an attack, Iran would take 'special measures' to move the highly enriched uranium to a fortified location. After the bombardment began, Grossi said he received a letter from the Iranian foreign minister, saying those measures had been implemented. Iranian authorities have not responded to Grossi's demands to inform his inspectors of the new location, and on Wednesday, Iran's parliament approved moves to suspend such inspections. Araqchi also indicated on Friday that Tehran might reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites. The risk is that Iran's already near-weapons-grade uranium could be hidden away indefinitely. According to the IAEA, the amount of uranium Iran is known to have can be stored in 16 cylinders measuring 91.4 centimetres in height, about the size of a large scuba-diving tank. Each one would weigh about 25 kilograms – light enough to be carried on a person's back.
