Leader: Iran not to enter any arena as weak but with full strength
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran will never step in any arena as the weaker side – whether in the field of diplomacy or the military.
“Both friends and foes should take note that the Iranian nation will never enter in any arena as the weaker side. We have all necessary tools, including logic and military strength. Therefore, whether in the field of diplomacy or the military, whenever we step in, we will enter with full strength," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Iran’s Judiciary officials in Tehran.
He was referring to Iran’s recent response to the last month’s Israel and the US aggression against Iran and Tehran’s insistence on its rights during negotiations on its peaceful nuclear program.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians. More than a week later, the US entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
On June 24, the Israeli regime, isolated and abandoned, declared a unilateral halt to its aggression, announced on its behalf by US President Donald Trump.
The Leader cited Israel’s desperate appeal to the United States for a cease-fire after 12 days of aggression as clear evidence of Iran’s strong and decisive response to the regime.
“If the Zionist regime had not bowed down and clung to the ground, and if it were capable of defending itself, it would not have turned to America like that. But it understood that it could not stand against the Islamic Republic.”
He said the confrontation revealed not only Iran’s military and strategic strength, but also the resilience, awareness, and national unity of the Iranian people.
The Leader described Iran’s retaliatory strike against the US attack as a highly sensitive one. “The target hit by Iran was an extremely sensitive American center in the region, and once media censorship is lifted, it will become clear what a significant blow Iran delivered. Of course, even greater strikes could be dealt to the US and others if necessary.”
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the enemy's strategy was to weaken Iran through targeted assassinations and psychological operations, then mobilize internal saboteurs and agitators to trigger unrest, but it was fully defeated by public awareness and nationwide solidarity.
"In reality, the exact opposite of the enemy’s plan occurred, revealing that many of the assumptions held by some individuals in political and related spheres were also incorrect.”