Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday that Iran will retaliate with strikes on U.S. bases if Washington launches further attacks.
In his first televised remarks since Israel and Iran signed a ceasefire on Monday, Khamenei said the attack on the U.S. military base in Qatar is an example of what Washington can expect if it continues to attack Iran.
“The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face. It attacked one of the important American bases in the region,” he said.
“The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to important American centres in the region and can take action against them whenever it deems necessary is not a small incident, it is a major incident, and this incident can be repeated in the future if an attack is made.”
The Iranian attack, launched at the tail end of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, came in retaliation for U.S. strikes on three of Iran’s fortified enrichment facilities. The attack was heavily telegraphed, and U.S. defences were able to neutralise most of the rockets launched at the Qatari base.
President Trump even thanked Iran earlier this week for informing U.S. leadership about the strike before it was launched.
Still, the attack and subsequent ceasefire have allowed all sides of the conflict to declare victory, with Israel and the U.S. confident that Iran’s enrichment facilities are sufficiently damaged and Iran pointing to its survival as evidence of a successful resistance.
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The true strength of the ceasefire between Iran and Israel remains to be seen. If Iran’s enrichment facilities are recoverable, and Tehran decides to revamp its nuclear program, Israel and the U.S. could launch further strikes.
When asked if he would consider further strikes on Iranian enrichment sites on Wednesday, Trump said, “Sure.”
But, Iran possesses enough enriched uranium to produce approximately 12 nuclear warheads but has not assembled any, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the UN nuclear watchdog, told France Inter radio that Iran’s atomic facilities suffered “serious damage” from recent airstrikes but remain functional. “It’s inaccurate to claim the program has been eliminated,” he noted, referring to US-Israeli strikes on sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
He confirmed that centrifuges at the Fordow enrichment facility were knocked out, while declining to provide updates on other locations.
Grossi also flagged growing friction with Tehran, citing Iranian accusations that the agency had lost its impartiality. “There is clear tension with Iran,” he remarked.
