President Donald Trump has warned Iran not to retaliate after it was confirmed that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during Saturday’s substantial joint US-Israeli strikes.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
It is unclear if this is an exaggeration or a specific threat about a force level or weapon.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Saturday targeted US bases and foreign installations hosting American forces across the region, with US troops and partner forces involved in air defense.
Israel launched a fresh attack on Iran early Sunday. In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force said it had begun “a broad wave of strikes against targets of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran.”
It’s a continuation of the strikes on Saturday that devastated Khamenei’s compound in Tehran.
Khamenei, 86, was in power for almost 40 years, and his reign was marked by tensions with the US, as well as a recent brutal crackdown on Iranians protesting high inflation.
Tensions with the US have been largely centered on Iran’s support for terrorism, including incidents that resulted in the deaths of US troops, and concerns about its missile and nuclear programs.
In recent weeks, as the US urged Iran to commit to a new nuclear deal, the American military built up its forces in the Middle East. The buildup has been accompanied by strong language and warnings from both Washington and Tehran. Trump’s Truth Social post signals that the trend is set to continue amid the ongoing fighting.
For now, it remains to be seen how Khamenei’s death will affect the fate of Iran’s regime, which is bolstered by the hardline Revolutionary Guard Corps and a vast, deeply loyal internal security force.
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