Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday ruled out any possibility of surrender to the United States, asserting that Iran’s response to recent hostilities had exposed the vulnerabilities of both American and Israeli defences.

In a televised address broadcast to the nation, the Supreme Leader responded to past remarks by US President Donald Trump, who had claimed that Iran must surrender.

“Trump, in one of his speeches, said Iran needs to surrender. He unveiled the truth — the US will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender. But surrender will never happen. Our nation is powerful,” Khamenei said.

Referring to recent tensions in the region, Khamenei described the US military actions against Iran as little more than political theatre. “The US strikes on Iran were merely a show of bravado. Trump needed to do showmanship, nothing more,” he remarked.

He praised Iran’s armed forces for what he described as a strategic breakthrough, claiming they had successfully targeted “urban and military areas” within Israeli territory, thereby penetrating Israel’s multi-layered defence systems.

Highlighting Iran’s retaliatory capacity, the Iranian leader said, “The Islamic Republic delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face,” referring to an alleged attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar — a key installation housing American forces. “It was damaged by our forces. This action demonstrated that we have access to major US bases in the region and can act when necessary,” he claimed.

In a direct warning to Israel, Khamenei stated, “The Zionist regime was practically knocked out and crushed under the unexpected blows of the Islamic Republic. They made noise and grand claims, but in the end, they were silenced.”

He further warned that any future aggression from the US or Israel would be met with firm retaliation. “The enemy will definitely pay a heavy price. We are prepared, and if provoked again, such action can and will be repeated.”

While Iran’s claims have yet to be independently verified, the Supreme Leader’s address signals a further escalation in rhetoric as regional tensions remain high.