Former U.S. President Donald Trump has fired back at Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the latter’s declaration of victory over Israel. Khamenei had claimed that Iran had triumphed in the conflict, despite devastating Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran’s key nuclear and military infrastructure.
Trump, responding on his platform, criticized Khamenei for spreading what he called falsehoods and reminded him of how close Iran allegedly came to destruction under U.S. military pressure.
“Why does the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of war-ravaged Iran, so foolishly and easily claim he won a war with Israel, when he knows that’s a lie? I saved him from a shameful and ugly death, and he doesn’t even say, ‘Thank you, President Trump,’” Trump wrote.
His statement refers to the maximum pressure campaign during his presidency and the 2020 targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, which had brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war.
Trump’s remarks reflect his ongoing strategy of portraying himself as a tough yet restrained global leader, especially on Iran, often suggesting he avoided full-scale war despite having overwhelming military options.
Khamenei’s declaration, in contrast, has been met with skepticism internationally, especially given the extent of damage reportedly inflicted on Iranian military infrastructure in recent Israeli and U.S. operations.
