Tehran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has proclaimed a “victory” for Iran in the recent conflict with Israel and announced that the United States failed to achieve any gains, describing Tehran’s resistance as triumphant.
In a message on social media platform X, Khamenei congratulated the nation for “defeating the arrogant American system.” He said Washington joined the war only because it feared Israel’s complete destruction—a fate the U.S. aimed to prevent—but ended up “gaining nothing” from its involvement.
He highlighted Iran’s missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, calling it a “powerful slap on the face” of U.S. military presence in the region. While Qatar intercepted the missiles without causing casualties, Iran claimed it damaged vital U.S. military assets.
Last month, the conflict saw intense hostilities—over 900 casualties in Iran and nearly 30 in Israel—and widespread damage. Iran suffered more than 4,000 injuries, and Israeli civilian areas and military sites were targeted, though most missiles were intercepted.
Khamenei also referenced earlier U.S. bunker-buster strikes that hit Iranian nuclear installations in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He argued that these actions, followed by Tehran’s retaliatory offensive, led to the cessation of hostilities and a ceasefire. The U.S. assessment confirmed the strikes degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities temporarily, but did not dismantle them.
He concluded that the ceasefire was achieved through Iran’s bravery and resilience and warned that Tehran prefers “an honourable death over disgrace.” He also used the moment to denounce American arrogance and reaffirm Iran’s position in the region. Analysts now caution that while the ceasefire holds, tensions remain high and the region is preparing for further diplomatic challenges.