Khamenei declares victory over Israel, says US strikes on nuclear sites ‘failed to achieve anything important’

CAIRO – 26 June 2025: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday declared victory over the United Stated and Israel during the recent Iranian-Israeli war that started when Tel Aviv struck Iran’s nuclear and military sites and assassinated top military leaders and key scientists on 13 June.

‘EXAGGERATING ATTACKS’

In a speech posted by the official IRNA news agency, Khamenei commented on the recent US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, asserting that, while these attacks require legal prosecution before international courts, they “failed to achieve anything important.”

He stated that the US joined the war only when they felt that Israel would be completely annihilated if the Americans did not interfere.

The US regime “entered the war to save it (Israel) but they could not make any achievement during this war,” Khamenei said.

The Iranian supreme leader accused US President Donald Trump of “exaggeration” regarding the American achievement in hitting the Iranian nuclear sites, asserting that Iran has given “a strong slap” to the US.

‘IRAN WILL NEVER SURRENDER’

As Trump has called for “unconditional surrender” by Iran during the Israeli war, Khamenei said Iran “will never” surrender to the US.

“This person (Trump) has exposed this truth and demonstrated that America will not accept anything less than Iran's surrender,” Khamenei said.

“The Iranian people must realize that this is the essence of America's conflict with us, and that this great insult to the Iranian people is woven into the fabric of Americans' policies.”

“But such a thing will never happen.”

‘DOUBTS ABOUT US STRIKES’

Israel and Iran have committed to a ceasefire announced by Trump early on Tuesday less than two days after the US launched heavy strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.

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President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's commitment to doing everything necessary to reinforce the recently announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Wednesday#Egypt…

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) June 25, 2025

Trump dubbed the strike “very successful,” claiming that key enrichment facilities there were “totally and completely obliterated.”

The US operation, dubbed 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' utilized several bunker buster bombs, seven stealthy B-2 bombers, and Tomahawk cruise missiles fired by a submarine, according to reports, to target the deeply-buried nuclear facilities in Iran.

However, a preliminary assessment from US intelligence indicates that the US military strikes did not eliminate the fundamental components of the country’s nuclear program and may have only postponed its progress by a few months.

This information, reported by CNN, comes from seven sources familiar with the assessment.

While Trump asserts that the extent of damage at the Iranian nuclear sites is “monumental,” the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said the agency is still unable to assess the damage.

Iran agreed to the ceasefire after they launched a limited retaliatory strike on the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The Israeli strikes that started in mid-June disrupted Omani-mediated talked between the US and Iran that aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear enrichment.