Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Sunday that the country would not bow to US pressure, insisting that Iran emerged stronger after June’s brief but intense war with Israel and the United States.
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Speaking in Tehran during a ceremony marking the death anniversary of Shia Eighth Imam Reza, Khamenei accused Washington of seeking to destabilize the Islamic Republic and ultimately subjugate it.
“A day after Iran was attacked, American agents met in Europe to discuss what government should rule Iran after the Islamic Republic,” he said.
Khamenei claimed that the rare joint strikes by Israel and the US in June, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, were designed to weaken Tehran but instead strengthened national unity.
“The Iranian nation, by standing firm alongside the armed forces, the government, and the system, delivered a strong blow,” he said.
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The 12-day conflict, the fiercest confrontation yet between Tehran and its adversaries, ended in June but derailed nuclear negotiations that had been underway with Washington. Talks are now set to resume this week, as Iran meets Britain, France, and Germany.
The supreme leader also warned of “foreign-fueled divisions,” alleging that US and Israeli agents seek to create discord within Iran. “There are differences of opinion, but when it comes to defending the system and the country, the people are united,” Khamenei stressed.
