Khamenei Vows Punishment after US Joins Israeli Attacks

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Photo collected

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed continued retaliation against Israel, denouncing recent joint US-Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as a grave provocation that demands punishment.

“The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a major crime. It must be punished—and it is being punished right now,” Khamenei declared in his first reaction on social media following the US airstrikes.

The statement, posted on platform X, was accompanied by a fiery image of a burning skull marked with the Star of David, set against a backdrop of flames and ruined buildings—an apparent symbol of retribution.

His remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out coordinated strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—signalling Washington’s full entry into the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. “All planes are now outside Iranian airspace,” he added.

In a televised address early Sunday, Trump hailed the strikes as “a spectacular military success,” claiming that Iran’s nuclear capability had been seriously compromised.

The US president also made a pointed comment about Iran’s leadership, suggesting the possibility of regime change. “If the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn’t there be a regime change?” he questioned.

The deadly escalation has already resulted in significant casualties. Over 400 people have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes across Iran, while retaliatory attacks by Tehran have left at least 24 dead in Israel.

As tensions soar, Khamenei’s statement signals Iran’s intent to intensify its resistance, raising fears of a broader regional conflict with unpredictable consequences.