Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes the remarks during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in northern Iran last year, in Tehran, Iran, on May 20, 2025.
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Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday threatened the U.S. with “irreparable damage” if Washington follows through with a military strike against the Middle Eastern country.
“Any American military entry will undoubtedly be met with irreparable damage,” Khamenei said, according to NBC News reporting.
“The Iranian people will firmly stand against an imposed war, just as they will stand firm against any imposed peace. This nation will never surrender to imposition from anyone,” he added. “The Iranian people are not a people who can be forced into surrender.”
CNBC has reached out to the White House for comment.
Iran and Tehran have been trading missile fire since the Jewish state on Friday launched an attack against Iran, saying it primarily targeted the Iranian nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency on Wednesday said two nuclear centrifuge production facilities in Iran were hit.
Trump on Tuesday warned the patience of the U.S. — a historically close ally and weapons provider of Israel — was “wearing thin,” noting that Khamenei is an “easy target.”
“We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform, stressing the White House does not want missiles “shot at civilians, or American soldiers” but nevertheless aims for Tehran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Under Trump’s second administration, the White House has been attempting to broker a deal over Iran’s nuclear program, with talks so far yet to bear fruit. Washington has previously insisted it was not directly involved in the hostilities, but Trump’s latest comments have stoked speculation over a change in strategy.
Tensions between the two historical Middle Eastern foes have been running high since the October 2023 attack on Israeli territory carried out by Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel has since accused Iran of offensives undertaken through its network of regional allies that also include Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi groups. Tehran denies involvement.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Israel is “the dirty work” for the Western world, according to Google-translated comments carried by German outlet ZDF.
Markets have been avidly watching developments in the conflict, which threatens to envelop the broader oil-rich Middle East region and has driven investors to safe-haven assets, such as gold.
This breaking news story is being updated.
