Israel was 'crushed' under Iran’s blows: Ali Khamenei's first post ceasefire message

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

In a first message post the US-brokered ceasefire, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Tel Aviv was “nearly brought to its knees” under Iranian strikes.

In a message published on his Telegram account, three days after a ceasefire took effect, he said: “Despite all its noise and claims, the Zionist regime was nearly crushed under the strikes of the Islamic Republic.” “I congratulate the great Iranian nation on the defeat of the fake Zionist regime,” Khamenei said, according to his Telegram channel.

The shaky truce between Iran and Israel appeared to hold, with both sides saying they would honour the ceasefire if the other side did the same. Earlier on Tuesday Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would respect the ceasefire announced by Trump, provided that Israel also upholds its terms.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would respect the ceasefire announced by Trump, provided that Israel also upholds its terms. “If the Zionist regime does not violate the ceasefire, Iran will not violate it either,” he said. Hours later, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said he told his US counterpart Pete Hegseth that “Israel will respect the ceasefire — as long as the other side does”.

Khamenei also said the United States directly entered the conflict to prevent Israel’s complete destruction but ultimately failed to achieve any results. “My second congratulations go to the victory of our dear Iran over the American regime,” he said. “The US entered the war directly because it felt that if it did not, 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 the face of America,” Khamenei added.

Trump’s announcement that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” came soon after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties.