U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that he deliberately spared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from assassination during recent hostilities with Tehran, while warning of further military strikes if Iran continues pursuing nuclear weapons.
In a fiery post on his Truth Social platform Friday, Trump said he had precise intelligence on Khamenei’s location but held off action, stating, “I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered… and would not let Israel or the U.S. Armed Forces terminate his life.”
The remarks came amid escalating tensions following a 12-day war between Israel and Iran that ended in a ceasefire on June 24. Trump accused the Iranian leader of “ingratitude” after Khamenei dismissed the extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities and declared victory over Israel.
Trump, who recently hinted at possible sanctions relief, said he had abandoned all such efforts. “Instead of gratitude, I get a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust. I immediately dropped all work on sanction relief,” he wrote.
During a NATO summit earlier this week, Trump had announced renewed nuclear negotiations were imminent. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied any such talks were planned.
In a White House press briefing, Trump confirmed the U.S. would strike Iran again “without question” if intelligence showed continued enrichment of weapons-grade uranium.
Iran maintains its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes, a claim it has reiterated since the conflict began. U.S. and Israeli intelligence assessments differ on the scale of damage from recent air strikes. While some U.S. officials believe the program was delayed by months, Trump claimed it was set back by decades.
In his first public appearance since the ceasefire, Khamenei addressed the nation Thursday, asserting that Iran had “defeated Israel” and delivered a “slap” to the U.S. He rejected U.S. claims about nuclear setbacks, accusing Trump of exaggerating the situation for political gain.
Trump countered the speech in his Truth Social post, writing, “As a man of great faith, [Khamenei] is not supposed to lie.”
The confrontation highlights the fragile state of U.S.-Iran relations and raises questions about future diplomacy amid threats of renewed military action.
