• June 20, 2025 12:53 pm

Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender

admin
Published June 19, 2025
Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender

This photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, shows Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a televised speech, under a portrait of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, Friday, June 13, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

ET Desk: Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday Iran would never surrender, with the country unleashing hypersonic missiles in a new wave of attacks against Israel on the sixth day of war between the longtime enemies.

The latest missile barrage came hours after Israel said it had destroyed Iran’s internal security headquarters in Tehran, and as it reported a new wave of attacks targeting missile systems and storage sites in the country’s west.

Khamenei also warned the United States against becoming involved in the conflict, after US President Donald Trump appeared to flirt with the idea in recent days, calling for Tehran’s “unconditional surrender”.

“This nation will never surrender,” Khamenei said in a televised address, in which he called Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.

“America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.”

Iran’s state television reported the launch of Fattah hypersonic missiles, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also announced the launch of so-called super-heavy, long-range missiles.

An Israeli military official, who asked not to be named, said Wednesday that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday.

About 20 missiles had struck civilian areas in Israel, the official added.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier that air force jets had destroyed Iran’s internal security headquarters, as AFP journalists in Tehran reported powerful explosions across the city.

Meanwhile, a London-based internet watchdog said there was a “near-total national internet blackout” in Iran on Wednesday after days of disruptions.

Iran later announced heavier internet restrictions to curb hostile use, according to the Fars news agency. It first imposed internet curbs at the outset of Israel’s campaign last week.

– ‘Unconditional surrender’ –

Trump has fuelled speculation about US intervention, saying Wednesday that his patience had “run out” with Iran, but that it was still not too late for talks.

He later said he has not yet made a decision on whether to join Israel in bombing Iran and warned that the country’s current leadership could fall as a result of the war.

A change in Iran’s government “could happen,” he told reporters at the White House.

A day earlier Trump had boasted that the United States could assassinate Khamenei, but would not do so, “at least not for now”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “support in defending Israel’s skies” on Wednesday, calling him a “great friend” of Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted in a post on X that his country remains committed to diplomacy, even as it acts in “self-defence” against Israel.

“Iran has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to end the fighting was possible, that would guarantee both Israel’s security and Iran’s desire for a civilian nuclear programme.

“I believe it would be good for all of us together to look for ways to stop the fighting and seek ways for the participants in the conflict to find an agreement,” he told foreign journalists, including AFP, at a televised event.

Sharing is caring!