Iran's Supreme Leader at odds with Donald Trump: 'We will never surrender'

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly rejected the demand for 'unconditional surrender' made by the US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Khamenei stated in a televised address, 'We will never surrender in response to anyone's attacks.'
His remarks followed Trump's warning to Iran on Truth Social to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face severe consequences.
Subsequently, the official @Khamenei_ir account on X (formerly Twitter) posted English-language excerpts from Khamenei's speech.
Following a meeting in the Situation Room, President Trump asserted that the United States had 'complete and total control of the skies over Iran.'
By saying, 'I may do it, I may not do it,' he alluded to potential attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump added that, although the United States was aware of Khamenei's whereabouts, it would not pursue him 'for now.' His comments arose amid growing rumours that America planned to join the Israel-Iran war. Nevertheless, there was no formal confirmation of involvement.
America would suffer 'irreparable damage' if the United States intervened militarily, Khamenei warned. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched drones and hypersonic missiles at Israel, and Israeli defences intercepted most of them.
In another post on X, Khamenei said, 'The battle begins.' During the strikes, Tehran also saw a nearly complete internet outage.
Group of Seven (G7) and United Nations (UN) leaders called for a de-escalation as the death toll rose. According to Iranian officials, more than 224 people were killed, while Israel only reported 24 deaths.
On 16 June 2025, during the Israel-Iran conflict, Iranian activists, Nobel Peace Laureates Narges Mohammadi and Shirin Ebadi, along with directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, issued a joint opinion piece on Le Monde that denounced nuclear enrichment and called for a ceasefire.
In the meantime, Trump said again, 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' The US Embassy in Jerusalem remains closed because of safety concerns.
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