Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: ‘The battle begins’
The Ayatollah speaks out
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has spoken about the ongoing escalation between Tehran and Tel Aviv as US President Donald Trump demands that the country to surrender.
'The battle begins'
“In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins,” the Supreme Leader of Iran wrote in an online post in Farsi. British newspaper The Daily Mail explains that is a reference to Ali, whom Shia Muslims regard as the first imam and the rightful successor of the Prophet Mohammed.
'A strong response'
Khamenei also posted on X (formerly Twitter) a separate message in English: “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime”.
A memorable 'surprise'
The Daily Post writes that the message from the Ayatollah comes hours after Iranian state media warned about a “surprise” that “the world will remember for centuries.”
Unconditional surrender
According to The New York Post, US President Donald Trump had requested beforehand the unconditional surrender of the government of Tehran, claiming that US intelligence knows the exact location of the Supreme Leader of Iran.
We know where you are
“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 social media platform Truth Social.
Time is running out
The US President warned that “we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Tel Aviv targets
The Daily Mail writes that the Israeli military has carried extensive strikes on Iranian targets, claiming to have killed high-ranking military officers and top nuclear scientists.
Iran's lost arsenal
According to The New York Post, Tehran has lost most of its arsenal due to Israeli attacks on silos and weapons factory.
