Ayatollah Khamenei says Iran has delivered a ‘harsh blow’ to US in 1st comments since bombing
Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei delivered a televised address on Thursday morning, just days after the United States targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities in a 30-hour bombing campaign, with the leader saying Iran has “delivered a harsh blow to America.”
Saturday’s operation, named “Operation Midnight Hammer,” marked the U.S. military’s largest-ever deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and first use of 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs in combat, Pentagon officials said. The 30-hour precision strike targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, making it the longest B-2 mission since 2001, according to officials.
Ayatollah Khamenei struck a defiant tone on Thursday as he congratulated Iran for “its victory over the American regime.”
“The Islamic Republic also triumphed here and delivered a harsh blow to America. My second congratulations go to our dear Iran for its victory over the American regime,” Khamenei said. “The US entered direct war because it felt that if it didn’t, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. Yet, it gained nothing from this war. Here too, the Islamic Republic emerged victorious and delivered a harsh slap to America’s face.”
“A nation of around 90 million stood united, with one voice, shoulder to shoulder, supporting the armed forces,” he continued. “The Iranian people demonstrated their exceptional character and showed that, when needed, a single voice will rise from this nation.”