Iran leader threatens US with retaliation over attacks
Mojtaba Khamenei accused Washington of breaking a US-Iran memorandum as the war widens across civilian infrastructure.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States that Tehran and its allies could retaliate with what he called “unforgettable lessons,” Al Jazeera reported Saturday. The statement raises the pressure around a Qatar- and Pakistan-mediated memorandum that both Washington and Tehran have since declared finished after trading accusations of violations, according to Al Jazeera.
A written message attributed to Khamenei was read on Iranian state television, Al Jazeera reported. In it, he accused President Donald Trump’s administration of repeatedly breaching the memorandum signed last month and said the president’s signature had become “utterly worthless and invalid.”
Khamenei referred to the United States as the “Great Satan” and said the latest fighting showed what he described as America’s “bullying, hegemonism and savagery,” according to the statement carried by state television and reported by Al Jazeera. He said Iran and the “Resistance Front,” Tehran’s term for its regional allies, held lessons for the US if Washington sought a wider war.
Attacks widen beyond military targets
Al Jazeera reported that the US sharply expanded its attacks on Iran this week, striking civilian infrastructure including bridges, rail lines and water desalination facilities. Tehran has answered with strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kuwait, where authorities have urged residents to ration electricity, according to Al Jazeera.
The US-Israeli war against Iran began in February and is viewed by Iran’s senior leadership as an existential conflict, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said Tehran has shown no sign of accepting rising demands from the Trump administration, while regional governments continue behind-the-scenes efforts to end the war.
In the statement, Khamenei said Washington had shown what he called its “true face,” accusing the US of “deceitfulness, irrationality, unreliability and wickedness,” according to Al Jazeera. He urged Iranians to trust the country’s leadership, remain vigilant and stay active as the conflict continues.
Red Sea concerns add pressure
Al Jazeera reported that recent accounts have raised the possibility that Yemen’s Houthis could shut the Bab al-Mandeb route into the Red Sea in support of Iran. Such a move would disrupt global energy markets, add to inflation and increase pressure on Trump to halt the attacks, according to Al Jazeera.
The memorandum of understanding mediated by Qatar and Pakistan was meant to create conditions for a lasting end to the war, Al Jazeera reported. That effort has unraveled, with both Tehran and Washington saying the accord is over while blaming the other side for breaching it.
Al Jazeera also reported that the war is unpopular in the United States and has caused economic harm for Americans. Khamenei’s statement signals that Iran’s leadership is preparing its public for a longer confrontation while warning Washington that more attacks could draw a broader response from Tehran and allied forces.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.