Khamenei Says Iran Gave U.S. a “Heavy Slap,” Downplays Nuclear Strike Damage
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke his silence Thursday, calling the recent U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities a “failure” and asserting Iran’s strength in a turbulent period marked by high-stakes conflict with both the United States and Israel.
In a rare video address, Khamenei declared, “The United States failed to achieve anything significant,” dismissing President Donald Trump’s characterization of the operation as “unusually exaggerated.” His remarks come days after a U.S. operation codenamed Midnight Hammer targeted three key Iranian nuclear site ;Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan with over 70 precision-guided weapons, including 14 bunker-buster bombs aimed at the Fordo enrichment facility.
Khamenei accused Washington of masking its true intent behind claims of concern over nuclear proliferation, women’s rights, or human rights. “It has always been about one thing they want Iran to surrender,” he said. “But surrender is not in our vocabulary.”
The strikes, carried out late Saturday night, aimed to delay Iran’s nuclear advancement. Satellite images confirmed visible structural damage, particularly at the Fordo facility buried deep beneath the Alborz Mountains. Despite the assault, Iranian officials and analysts aligned with Tehran said the core enrichment systems remained largely intact.
In a retaliatory move, Iran fired short-range missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar early Monday. The Pentagon confirmed the strike caused minor structural damage but no casualties.
The escalation began earlier this month when Israel launched airstrikes inside Iran, prompting a swift missile counterattack by Tehran. A ceasefire, brokered informally and confirmed on Monday, temporarily paused direct hostilities. However, tensions remain high.
On social media, Khamenei congratulated Iran’s military and its people, writing, “Our beloved Iran delivered a heavy slap to America’s face.” He praised what he called “unified resistance” among Iranians, stating, “Around 90 million stood shoulder to shoulder in support of our armed forces.”
President Trump, responding from his Truth Social platform, defended the U.S. operation, promising that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would offer “an irrefutable update” on its impact. That press briefing is expected to provide further clarity on whether the strikes delayed Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon.
Experts monitoring the region noted that while the Fordo facility sustained damage, it is unclear if Iran’s enrichment timelines have changed significantly. “Iran’s deeper capabilities were not destroyed,” one analyst confirmed, pointing to the country’s history of dispersing nuclear technology across multiple underground sites.
Khamenei’s appearance ended speculation about his whereabouts, which had been the subject of media scrutiny after he had not been seen publicly since June 18. Israeli media outlets had speculated about internal dissent in Iran and raised questions about the supreme leader’s health. However, his televised statement appeared intended to quash any notion of instability.
“Trump’s words were too big for the mouth of a U.S. president,” Khamenei added. “He accidentally told the truth they have always been against the Islamic Republic.”
As global powers monitor the situation, the United Nations and European allies have called for restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation. But with U.S. and Iranian forces still on alert, and no confirmed path toward dialogue, the standoff remains volatile.
Hegseth is expected to address media at the Pentagon later today, alongside top military officials, with updated assessments of strike effectiveness and U.S. strategic posture in the Gulf.
The aftermath of the latest confrontation suggests that neither side is backing down and that the next move could again come with global consequences.
