Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has strongly condemned the recent US airstrikes on Iran. In his first public response, he accused Israel of making a serious mistake by attacking Iranian territory. He warned that Israel is already facing consequences and will continue to suffer more.
Speaking in Tehran on Wednesday, Khamenei said, “The Zionist enemy has committed a grave error. It is being punished—and this will not stop.” He also warned about the United States’ direct role in the military campaign. According to him, US airstrikes on Iran have dangerously escalated the situation. “American intervention in this war is extremely dangerous,” he said during a public address.
Tensions have been running high since last weekend when the United States launched a coordinated set of airstrikes on Iran alongside Israel. The targeted facilities included Iran’s major nuclear sites located in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow. These installations are crucial to Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
The U.S. has justified its actions by claiming that the attacks were a preemptive step to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. However, Iranian officials have denied those accusations. Tehran insists its nuclear project is peaceful and remains under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, called the US airstrikes on Iran an unlawful and blatant act of aggression. He stated that Iran reserves the right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He also tied the American involvement to earlier Israeli assaults on Iranian infrastructure. Those earlier attacks, he said, caused hundreds of civilian deaths.
The international response has been intense. Russia, China, and Pakistan condemned the US airstrikes on Iran at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Russia’s representative Vasily Nebenzya warned that Washington had “opened a Pandora’s box.” Chinese envoy Fu Cong described the attacks as a serious breach of international law. Pakistan’s ambassador Iftikhar Ahmad called it a “clear violation of Iranian sovereignty” and urged all parties to agree on an immediate ceasefire.
Despite the strikes, Iran remains defiant. According to Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, the nation’s nuclear knowledge, uranium stockpiles, and political will remain untouched. He made it clear that Iran’s nuclear capabilities are still intact.