Iran’s Supreme leader claims ‘heavy blow’ to U.S.; threatens more attacks

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Thursday that his country had “delivered a heavy slap to the U.S.” in his first public remarks since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Khamenei said the United States "gained nothing" from its involvement in the conflict alongside Israel against Iran.

On Monday, Iran launched an attack on the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar—widely seen as a calibrated response to American strikes over the weekend on Iranian nuclear facilities. The U.S. interpreted the strike as an effort by Tehran to retaliate without further escalating the conflict.

“The U.S. regime entered the war directly because it feared that without intervention, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed,” Khamenei stated. “It stepped in to save that regime but achieved nothing.”

He added that Iran had successfully targeted and damaged the Al-Udeid base, a key U.S. military installation in the Gulf region.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the Iranian strike as “very weak,” asserting that American forces intercepted 13 out of 14 missiles fired during the attack.

Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari also confirmed the interception, stating via X that Qatar’s air defenses had “successfully thwarted the attack,” with no casualties reported.

Khamenei warned of potential future strikes, claiming that Iran has access to critical U.S. military assets in the region and will act if provoked.

“The Islamic Republic possesses the capability to target key U.S. centers in the region and can respond at any time it deems appropriate,” he said. “If any aggression occurs, the enemy will undoubtedly pay a heavy price.”