Khamenei tells US that Iran won't surrender to Israel
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country won't surrender to Israel after U.S. President Donald Trump called for the Islamic Republic's capitulation amid growing speculation that Washington could enter the conflict.
"The Americans should know that the Iranian nation is not one to surrender," Khamenei said in a statement published on his official website, Khamenei.ir. He warned that if the U.S. joined Israel's military offensive, it would see "irreparable damage."
Khamenei also said he opposed an "imposed peace," suggesting he would not engage in any U.S. or Israel-led efforts to force Iran into accepting a ceasefire.
Khamenei's latest comments, which were originally scheduled to be televised, come a day after Trump said he knows where the supreme leader is "hiding" and also called for Iran's surrender.
On Tuesday, Trump and his national security team had a meeting that lasted more than hour, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu afterward, a White House official said. No further official comments were made.
Israel started its military strikes on Iran last Friday and has hit scores of targets in residential and commercial areas of the capital Tehran as well as nuclear facilities, gas fields and oil refineries.
In response Iran has fired hundreds of missiles at Israel, most of them targeting Tel Aviv. So far, at least 224 Iranians have been killed by Israel's attacks and 24 Israelis have been killed by Iran's strikes, according to government figures from both countries.
The White House has said Trump will meet Pakistan's army chief on Wednesday. The South Asian country - a key ally of Iran - has expressed a willingness to play a role as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Monday Iran is open to resuming talks about its atomic activities if Israel refrains from further strikes, citing direct communication with his counterpart in Tehran.
Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
13 minutes ago
- New York Post
US strikes Iran live updates: Trump to address the nation on ‘very successful attack' on three nuclear sites
President Trump has launched the United States into the spiraling Israel-Iran war, ordering strikes on the latter Middle Eastern country in an attempt to crush its nuclear program. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump announced on Truth Social. The president's move to get the US involved in Israel's military operations — ongoing since it launched large-scale airstrikes Friday that killed 20 of Iran's senior military leaders — comes after he told reporters Wednesday, 'I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' Iran had warned a US strike would trigger an 'all-out war.' Follow The Post's live updates on the US' attack on Iran for the latest news, photos, reactions and more:
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump: US launches strike on three nuclear sites in Iran
The United States launched the attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran on June 21, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, as the Israel-Iran war entered the second week. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," wrote Trump on TruthSocial .on June 21 "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow." The conflict began a week ago when Israel started conducting airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites, primarily targeting uranium enrichment facilities to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The two countries have been engaged in aerial strikes and Trump had been pondering U.S. involvement for the past week. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," wrote Trump. "Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: trump-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Australia worried about escalation as US shifts bombers
Australia is concerned the situation in the Middle East could swell into a larger conflict after the US moved bomber planes. The B-2 bombers were shifted to the Pacific Island of Guam as President Donald Trump considers whether the US should join Israel's strikes against Iran. Though it is unclear whether the deployment is linked to the tensions in the Middle East, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said he would not speculate on the why the US had moved its planes. "We are worried about the prospect for escalation here and this entering into some wider kind of conflict," he told Sky News on Sunday. "We've been urging dialogue and diplomacy and we continue to do that now." The federal government has repeatedly insisted Australia is not a central player in the conflict, which was triggered in mid June when the Israeli military launched attacks on Iran in what it claimed was a bid to wipe out Iran's nuclear program. At least 430 people have been killed and another 3500 injured in Iran according to Iranian media outlet Nour News, while local Israeli authorities have reported 24 civilian deaths and almost 1300 injuries. Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan insisted the easiest way to reach a resolution was for Iran to state it will not pursue nuclear weapons and allow independent verification. But Mr Tehan took issue with the federal government's relationship with Israel, claiming Labor politicians "seem to have isolated themselves from the Israeli government". "This has left them in a situation where they're trying to walk two sides here," Mr Tehan told Sky News. "What we need to see from the government is greater moral clarity as to whether they do, once and for all, want to see Iran get rid of its nuclear weapons program." Mr Marles maintained Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program was "most definitely a threat" to the peace and stability of the world, while also expressing concern about the conflict's escalation. "Both of those things can sit together," he said. "We recognise Israel's right to defend itself and we very much acknowledge the risk that the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program represents." France and other Australian allies have also echoed similar positions. About 2600 Australians in Iran are seeking assisted departures from the region, alongside about 1200 in Israel as the government urges travellers not to venture to either nation. Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs are helping Australians leave and defence assets are expected to be deployed to assist evacuation efforts. However, the government has insisted they will not be used in combat. Some Australians have already evacuated through land crossings but the government is also poised to help citizens leave once the airspace over both nations re-opens. With Reuters
