New Delhi: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered a powerful message of defiance, asserting Iran’s unwavering resolve and rejection of any form of harassment. His statement was released shortly after former US President Donald Trump confirmed the truce on Tuesday.
Khamenei declared, “We are not a nation that surrenders”. Earlier, he emphasised that Iran did not target civilians during its retaliatory strikes and vowed to resist any future attempts at harassment.
Those who know the Iranian people and their history know that the Iranian nation isn’t a nation that surrenders.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 23, 2025
The ceasefire agreement itself followed a week of intense military exchanges between Iran and Israel, pushing the region to the brink of a wider conflict. The agreement, brokered by the United States, has been hailed as a significant step towards de-escalation.
Before the ceasefire announcement, Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks against US military bases in Qatar and Iraq, following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Iranian Armed Forces described their attack on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military facility in the Middle East, as “devastating and powerful,” part of “Operation Besharat Fatah”. While the US reported no casualties at Al Udeid, Qatar condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, reserving the right to respond.
US President Trump downplayed the impact of Iran’s retaliatory strikes, labeling them “very weak.”
