Iran`s supreme leader on Wednesday rejected US calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause `irreparable damage to them.” The second public appearance by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since the Israeli strikes began six days ago came as Israel lifted some restrictions on daily life, suggesting that the missile threat from Iran was easing.
Khamenei spoke a day after US President Donald Trump demanded in a social media post that Iran surrender without conditions and warned Khamenei that the US knows where he is but has no plans to kill him, `at least not for now.` Trump initially distanced himself from Israel`s surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days he has hinted at greater American involvement, saying he wants something `much bigger` than a ceasefire. The U.S. has also sent more military aircraft and warships to the region.
In a video address to Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Trump`s support in the conflict, calling him `a great friend of Israel` and praising U.S. help defending Israel`s skies. `We speak constantly, including last night,` he said Wednesday. `We had a very warm conversation.` The Iranian nation is not one to surrender Khamenei dismissed the `threatening and absurd statements` by Trump.
`Wise individuals who know Iran, its people and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender,` he said in a low-resolution video, his voice echoing. `Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them.`
Iran released Khamenei`s statement before the video was aired, perhaps as a security measure. His location is not known, and it was impossible to discern from the tight shot, which showed only beige curtains, an Iranian flag and a portrait of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei`s immediate predecessor, who died in 1989.
An Iranian diplomat had warned earlier Wednesday that US intervention would risk `all-out war.` Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei did not elaborate, but thousands of American troops are based in nearby countries within range of Iran`s weapons. The US has threatened a massive response to any attack. Another Iranian official said the country would keep enriching uranium for peaceful purposes, apparently ruling out Trump`s demands that Iran give up its disputed nuclear program.
Strikes in and around Tehran
Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told a news conference Wednesday that Israel launched three waves of aerial attacks in the last 24 hours, deploying dozens of warplanes to strike over 60 targets in Tehran and western Iran, including missile launchers and missile-production sites.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military also struck the headquarters of Iran`s internal security forces, without specifying the agency or location. The strike marks a shift toward targeting Iran`s domestic security apparatus, which has long cracked down on dissent and suppressed protests. In addition, the UN nuclear watchdog agency said, Israel hit two centrifuge-production facilities in and near Tehran.
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