Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned the United States against launching military action against Iran, emphasizing that the Iranian nation will stand firm in the face of both imposed war and imposed peace, and will never surrender.
The Iranian leader made the remark in a message on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran over its nuclear and missile programmes.
Khamenei said the nation would never surrender as demanded by President Donald Trump and warned the United States it would face "irreparable damage" if it intervenes.
"This nation will never surrender to imposition from anyone," Khamenei said in a speech read on state television. "America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."
Khamenei praised the Iranian nation for its decent, courageous and timely behaviour in the face of the “stupid and evil” act of aggression by the Zionist enemy. He hailed the Iranian people’s reaction as a sign of growth and the consistency of its rationality and spirituality.
The Iranian nation will strongly fight the imposed war in the same way that it will stand against an imposed peace, he said, emphasizing that Iran will not surrender to anything imposed by anybody.
Dismissing the threatening comments by the US president, Ayatollah Khamenei said the wise individuals that are familiar with the Iranian nation and history would never talk to Iran with the language of threat, because it is impossible for the Iranian nation to surrender.
The Americans must bear in mind that any military engagement against Iran will undoubtedly inflict irreparable damages on them, he warned.
Earlier, Ayatollah Khamenei vowed that his country would show no mercy towards Israel's rulers, hours after US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran's "unconditional surrender".
"We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy," Khamenei posted on X.
Israel last week launched an unprecedented bombing campaign hitting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as residential areas.
Early Wednesday, Iran claimed to have fired hypersonic missiles at Israel as the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces unveiled plans for “punitive operations” against the Zionist regime, saying the counterattacks that Iran has carried out so far were merely aimed at deterrence.
In a video message released on Tuesday night, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi warned the Zionist regime to brace itself for a punishment for its act of aggression against Iran.
The top commander said the military operations that Iran has carried out so far were only warnings with the purpose of deterrence, adding the punitive operations against the Zionist regime will kick off soon.
He also issued an evacuation warning, calling on the residents of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the people in Tel Aviv and Haifa, to leave those regions to save their lives and not sacrifice themselves for the animal desires of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The top general noted that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force and the Air Defence Base, which have been serving in the frontline, have been assisted by the other Armed Forces in the Army, the IRGC and the Police and also by the Intelligence Ministry to fight off the enemy and have dealt severe blows to the Zionist regime by focusing on critical and vital targets.
Just IN:- Iran missiles arriving in Haifa and the iron dome isn't even trying anymore.#IsraelIranConflict #IranUnderAttack #TelAviv #IranVsIsrael #OurLeaderKhamenei #ReleaseLeaderOfUmmah pic.twitter.com/lVDzmkK7JS
— Iran Defence Network (@IranDefenceNET) June 18, 2025
Trump demands 'unconditional surrender'
Iran claimed to have fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the archfoes, hours after Donald Trump demanded the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender".
The US president insists Washington has played no part in ally Israel's bombing campaign, but also warned Iran his patience is wearing thin as the conflict enters a sixth day.
Israeli warplanes targeted the Iranian capital before dawn Wednesday after the military issued a warning on social media for civilians in an area known as District 18 to evacuate.
Iranian state media reported explosions ricocheting in the Piroozi, Sabalan and Sayyad areas of Tehran.
In retaliation, Iran told residents of Tel Aviv to prepare for an attack, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claiming its hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles were "repeatedly shaking the shelters" in the commercial hub.
"The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles" was carried out, the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state television.
Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.
Iran also sent a "swarm of drones" towards Israel, where the army said it intercepted two over the Dead Sea area.
World powers have scrambled for an offramp, hoping to prevent the conflict from spiralling into a region-engulfing war.
In separate phone calls with his Iranian counterpart and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday night, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a diplomatic solution.
Trump fuelled speculation about American intervention when he made a hasty exit from the G7 summit in Canada, where the leaders of the club of wealthy democracies jointly called for a ceasefire.
Back in Washington on Tuesday, Trump demanded the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender". He also boasted that the United States could easily assassinate Iran's supreme leader.
"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there -- We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He met with his National Security Council to discuss the conflict, ending after an hour and 20 minutes with no immediate public statement.
While he has repeatedly vowed to avoid wading into the "forever wars" of the Middle East, Trump ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of US military aircraft.
US officials stressed he has not yet made a decision about any intervention.
Missiles fired from Iran covered live by Fox News. pic.twitter.com/NoDJBLC58m
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) June 17, 2025
- Evacuations -
Despite international alarm, neither side has backed off from the long-range blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
Israel claims its attacks have killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani as well as his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid.
Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes since the fighting broke out, and foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate their citizens.
More than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel launched its campaign, according to government figures.
Among those evacuated were citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, along with others from Germany, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China and Vietnam, a government source told AFP.
The United States said it was closing its embassy in Jerusalem until Friday amid the growing conflict, but there was no announcement about helping Americans leave the "crisis area".
Fearing violence, many residents of Tehran have fled.
On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as people rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.
A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran's main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported.
With air raid sirens regularly screaming over Tel Aviv, some people relocated to an underground parking lot below a shopping mall.
"We've decided to permanently set camp here until it's all clear, I guess," Mali Papirany, 30, told AFP.
- Nuclear facilities -
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran denies.
Iranian media reported several explosions Tuesday in the central city of Isfahan, home to nuclear facilities.
The UN's nuclear watchdog said there appeared to have been "direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls" at Iran's Natanz facility.
Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.
The conflict derailed a running series of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, with Iran saying after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had a critical role to play in restarting diplomacy with Iran, where attempts at regime change would bring "chaos".
China accused Trump of "pouring oil" on the conflict, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of being "the biggest threat to the security of the region".
Since Friday, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu's office.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.–Agencies