𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐢 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩’𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐚𝐫

 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑆 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝐼𝑟𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 '𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚'

by Dave DeCamp , Antiwar. com | Jun 18, 2025

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected President Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender” and warned the US against entering the war by launching strikes on Iran, saying the US would suffer “irreparable harm.”

Trump has also threatened Khamenei, claiming the US was aware of his location but wasn’t going to kill him for the time being. “[Trump] has threatened us. Not only does he make threats, but he also uses absurd, unacceptable rhetoric to openly demand that the Iranian people surrender to him. When a person hears such things, it’s truly surprising,” Khamenei said in a televised address.

“It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. Wise people who know Iran, the Iranian people, and Iran’s history would never utter such words. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? The Iranian nation isn’t a nation that surrenders. We haven’t attacked anyone, and we definitely won’t tolerate anyone attacking us, and we will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei during his televised address (photo via his website)

The US has supported Israel’s war on Iran by providing weapons and intelligence and by intercepting Iranian missiles and drones. So far, the US hasn’t launched direct airstrikes on Iran, but Trump is considering doing so, especially against the Fordow nuclear plant, which is buried deep underground.

“Of course, the Americans who are familiar with the policies of this region know that the US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment,” Khamenei said. “The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter. The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.”

Iranian ballistic missiles are believed to be able to do significant damage to US bases in the region. Trump was asked on Wednesday if he would launch strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, but wouldn’t say. “I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war under the pretext of stopping Iran from advancing toward a nuclear bomb, but US intelligence agencies had assessed there was no evidence Tehran was working to make a nuclear weapon, and the US was unconvinced by new Israeli intelligence.

Israel’s attack also disrupted negotiations between the US and Iran. Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had asked for a meeting at the White House, but the claim was rejected by Tehran, as Iranian officials have said they won’t negotiate while Israel continues its attacks.

“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s Supreme Leader,” Iran’s mission to the UN said. “Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance.”