"Enemy Being Punished Right Now": Iran's Khamenei's First Reaction After US Strikes
New Delhi:
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first reaction after the US bombed Tehran's three key nuclear facilities, said the punishment for the "Zionist enemy" - referring to Israel - will continue. LIVE UPDATES
"The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a big crime; it must be punished and it is being punished; it is being punished right now," he said. Khamenei also shared a picture of what looked like air strikes. There is a skull at the center of the image with a 'Star of David' on its forehead - a symbol on the Israeli flag generally representing both Jewish identity and Judaism.
#همین_حالا
مجازات ادامه دارد
دشمن صهیونی یک اشتباه بزرگی کرده، یک جنایت بزرگی را مرتکب شده؛ باید مجازات بشود و دارد مجازات میشود؛ همین حالا دارد مجازات میشود. #الله_اکبر pic.twitter.com/wH6Wk9nNhJ
— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی 🇮🇷 (@Khamenei_fa) June 23, 2025
Khamenei's comment comes a day after T ehran used its biggest missile capable of carrying the heaviest payload in its attacks on Israel, hours after the US' attack. According to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), they launched at least 40 missiles after the US action, including Khorramshahr-4.
Earlier on Sunday, Khamenei's aide, Hossein Shariatmadari, had warned of retaliation "without delay" and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz.
"It is now our turn to act without delay. As a first step, we must launch a missile strike on the US naval fleet in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French ships," he told an Iranian media.
The tensions between the longtime enemies, Iran and Israel, escalated after Tel Aviv launched what it called 'Operation Rising Lion' against Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13. Tehran, since then, has been responding with a barrage of missiles and drones that hit Israeli cities and towns.
The US, on Sunday, joined Israel's conflict against Iran by bombing Tehran's three nuclear sites - Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. One of the Iranian nuclear sites, Fordow, was Iran's most secretive and heavily protected nuclear facility, which only the US had the firepower to destroy. The strikes were carried out by American B-2 stealth bombers using 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs, 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles, F-22 Raptors, and F-35A Lightning fighters.
In his first message after the attack, Trump warned Iran, the "bully of the Middle East", to make peace. "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said.
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