Iran’s Supreme Leader appears, says Trump ‘exaggerated’ impact of US strikes on nuclear sites

“Israel faces a real catastrophe it never anticipated from its inception. Seaports are almost completely destroyed. Services are nonexistent. Gas and electricity stations are damaged and out of service. There are things that were not shown on TV, satellite channels, and the media. They are almost completely destroyed. Important sites, airports, and sites are destroyed,” said Dr. Al-Monsouri.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday June 26, 2025, said US President Donald Trump “exaggerated” the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, in his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold.

In a statement and a televised speech carried by state media, he hailed his country’s “victory” over Israel and vowed never to surrender to the United States, while claiming that Washington had been dealt a “slap” after striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Khamenei’s remarks come two days after a ceasefire ended a 12-day war between Iran and Israel, the foes’ deadliest and most destructive confrontation in history.

It also follows a stinging row in the United States over the actual extent of the damage inflicted by American strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites during the conflict.

It would be recalled that whereas Israel prohibited the media from covering or reporting the exact sites damaged by Iran’s fire power in its territory during the war it started on Friday June 13, Iran continued to release fu details of the impacts both its (Israel’s) and America’s caused in its territory without holding anything back, which suggests that Israel received devastating blows with blood its nose for underrating Iran in war.

“The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration,” Khamenei said.

The United States “has gained nothing from this war,” he said, adding that American strikes “did nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The Islamic Republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America,” he said, a reference to Iran’s missile launch targeting the largest US base in the Middle East.

“I want to congratulate the great Iranian nation… for its victory over the fallacious Zionist regime,” he added, claiming that Israel had “almost collapsed” because of Iran’s strikes.

Both Iran and Israel had already claimed they won, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailing on Tuesday a “historic victory” for Israel.

US defence

In the United States, leaked intelligence this week opened up a Pandora’s box of accusations and counter-claims over the extent of the damage caused by the strikes.

Later on Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is due to offer a fresh assessment of the attacks.

After waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since June 13, the United States bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities.

An initial classified assessment, first reported by CNN, was said to have concluded that the strikes did not destroy key components and that Iran’s nuclear programme was set back only months at most.

Another key question raised by experts is whether Iran, preparing for the strike, moved out some 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of enriched uranium — which could now be hidden elsewhere in the vast country.

The US administration has hit back furiously, with Trump saying the attack “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the key site of Fordo buried inside a mountain, and that it had set the programme back by “decades”.

Trump said that Hegseth, whom he dubbed “war” secretary, would hold a news conference at 8 am (1200 GMT) on Thursday to “fight for the dignity of our great American pilots”.

CIA chief John Ratcliffe said in a statement on Wednesday that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years”.

The Israeli military said it had delivered a “significant” blow to Iran’s nuclear sites but that it was “still early” to fully assess the damage.

Netanyahu announced that “we have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project”.

“And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt,” he said.

Nuclear talks?

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera that “nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure”.

After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope “for a comprehensive peace agreement”.

Trump told reporters that Israel and Iran were “both tired, exhausted”, before going on to say that talks were planned with Iran next week.

“We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” he added.

Iran has systematically denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its “legitimate rights” to the peaceful use of atomic energy.

It has also said it was willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.

The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran’s health ministry said.

Iran’s attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Tel Aviv doctored official figures. But after Israel’s website was hacked, which was confirmed by the authorities, many information about damages hidden by Netanyau’s government were stolen and leaked to the public.

What Israel covered up

In a submission by Yemen writer, Dr Abdullah Al-Monsouri, a political analyst and human rights activist, he said, “Two million people fled Israel, an exodus without return. Israel’s entire military and infrastructure were destroyed.”

He continued, “The Israeli Hess website was hacked, revealing the deaths of: 6 senior military generals, 32 Mossad officers, 78 Shin Bet officers, 27 naval officers, 198 air force officers, 462 soldiers, 423 civilians.

“Israel’s interceptor missile losses: $11 billion, not to mention the complete destruction of a third of Israel. Streets and roads are covered in rubble to be cleared.

“Israel faces a real catastrophe it never anticipated from its inception. Seaports are almost completely destroyed. Services are nonexistent. Gas and electricity stations are damaged and out of service.

“There are things that were not shown on TV, satellite channels, and the media. They are almost completely destroyed.
Important sites, airports, and sites are destroyed.

“Israel has received a crushing blow. It cannot be rebuilt again and will take three to four years to rebuild.

“The current destruction is estimated to cost three trillion shekels.

“Netanyahu rushed his strike on Iran, but his strike achieved nothing. The Iranian nuclear reactor was not affected.

“The Iranian regime did not fall, and Netanyahu did not fulfill his promises to the Gulf states, who paid trillions of dollars to realize this dream of the end of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Iran will certainly emerge stronger after the strike and regain its strength.

“Israel, the Gulf states, Europe, and America did not expect Iran to be this strong, resilient, and tactical.

“Iran swept away all the trillions of dollars in the Gulf and trampled on Israel in an unexpected and unprecedented manner.

“Indeed, Israel, America, and the Gulf states lost the war with Iran.

“Iran did win.

“There are things that will be revealed later that were the reason for Iran’s victory.

“Iran has become the master of the Middle East.

“Iran asked its friends to enter the war alone and did not seek help from anyone. It wanted to discover the extent of its ability to confront and withstand.

“Iran forced the Israeli enemy. The US and Europe called for a ceasefire.

“Trump feared that Iran would prolong the war and exhaust America and Israel.
This would lead to the imminent collapse of America and Israel.

“Not to mention the global economy being exposed to fuel crises and rising prices of food and basic commodities worldwide.

“America feared that it would ignite a third world war and that Iran’s allies would join the battle, leading to dire consequences,” sad Dr. Abdullah Al-Mansouri, Yemeni writer, political analyst, and human rights activist.

In the meantime, a state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the war as Israeli continue to officially hide the extent of impacts it suffered in the war that wiped out all its scientists behind its nuclear power and technologies and hundreds of military commanders.

Iran military

The Iran Military social media age, on Thursday, said, “The Israeli Minister of Finance officially announced: The cost of the operation against Iran is estimated at around $5.4 billion, and the damages caused by missile impacts are estimated at $1.35 billion!

“This is just the officially announced figure by the Zionist regime, and it seems that the unofficial numbers are much higher than this!” confirming the acknowledgement of Israel’s being economical with the truth in what it fed the public about the war t brought upon itself.