Iran Warns of Fresh Strikes on US Bases If Attacked Again, Says Khamenei After Ceasefire

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday warned the United States that any future attack on the country will be met with retaliatory strikes on American military bases across the Middle East. In his first televised address since a ceasefire was reached between Iran and Israel, Khamenei said that Iran had already demonstrated its strength and would not hesitate to act again if provoked, as per Reuters report. 

"The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face. It attacked one of the important American bases in the region," Khamenei said, referring to the recent missile strike on a US base in Qatar.

Khamenei Addresses Nation from Undisclosed Location

In a pre-recorded speech aired on Iranian state television, the 86-year-old leader was seen speaking from an indoor location, seated between the national flag and a portrait of the Islamic Republic's founder Ruhollah Khomeini. The backdrop of a plain brown curtain added to the serious tone of his address.

Khamenei reiterated that Iran will never yield to American pressure. "The US President Trump unveiled the truth and made it clear that Americans won't be satisfied with anything less than surrender... such an event will never happen," he said.

Iran Claims Access to Key US Centres in Region

Khamenei further claimed that Tehran had access to "important American centres" in the region and was prepared to strike them again if necessary. "The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to important American centres in the region and can take action against them whenever it deems necessary is not a small incident, it is a major incident, and this incident can be repeated in the future if an attack is made," he said.

Trump Warns of Fresh US Response if Iran Restarts Nuclear Programme

The threat comes days after US President Donald Trump responded to questions about Iran's nuclear ambitions by saying "sure" when asked if the US would strike again should Tehran restart its enrichment programme. Iran has consistently denied it is seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining that its programme is peaceful.

Khamenei: US Failed to Stop Iran, Entered War to Save Israel

Khamenei dismissed US claims of success in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, insisting that Washington "gained no achievement" and only intervened to protect Israel. "The US directly entered the war as it felt that if it did not get involved, the Zionist regime (Israel) would be fully destroyed. It entered the war to save it," he said.

"The U.S. attacked our nuclear facilities, but couldn't do any important deed... The U.S. president did abnormal showmanship and needed to do so," Khamenei added.

Over the weekend, Trump had said that the US had used 30,000-pound bombs to "obliterate" Iran's nuclear programme. However, this claim was reportedly at odds with initial assessments from one of his administration's intelligence agencies, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Netanyahu Says Israel Achieved Historic Victory

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a message following the ceasefire, declared a "historic victory" for his country, saying Israel had eliminated the immediate threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

Shortly after Khamenei's televised remarks, Netanyahu posted a picture of himself with Trump, both leaders holding hands, with the message: "We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies."