Iran’s Supreme Leader Rejects US Calls To Surrender

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday that any US military involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel would result in “irreparable damage” to the US, as Israel and Iran continued their strikes for the sixth consecutive day amid international calls to de-escalate, CNBC reported. 

In a televised speech, Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and dismissed his warnings as “absurd.”  

“The Iranian nation is not one to surrender,” Khamenei said, adding that any US military action “will 100 percent backfire.”  

His comments came after Trump posted on social media that Khamenei was “an easy target,” but that the US had no plans to kill him, “at least not for now,” according to the Associated Press. 

The current outbreak of fighting began late last week when Israel launched surprise airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Since Friday, Tehran has responded by bombarding Israeli cities with hundreds of missiles and drones, Israeli officials said.  

At least 24 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in Israel, while Iranian authorities reported 224 dead and over 1,200 injured in figures that have not been updated since the weekend. 

However, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said that Israeli attacks have killed at least 639 people in Iran, including 263 civilians and 154 members of the security forces.  

On Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Israeli strikes destroyed two centrifuge component production facilities near Tehran, as well as missile sites and military infrastructure in the cities of Karaj and Isfahan, Agence France-Presse added. 

Tensions have soared in the Middle East since the outbreak of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, when the Iran-backed group Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. Israel has since accused Iran of using regional proxies to carry out further attacks – a claim Tehran denies. 

While the White House has said it is not involved in Israel’s military operations, analysts warned that Trump’s recent statements signal a shift in the US’ posture.  

The US has already deployed more warships and aircraft to the region and warned Tehran that further escalation could trigger a massive response. 

Amid the fighting, G7 leaders meeting in Canada condemned Iran as a “principal source of regional instability and terror” and expressed support for Israel’s “right to defend itself,” while urging regional de-escalation.  

Even so, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that regime change in Iran would lead to “chaos” and called on Trump to return to diplomacy.