Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran Will ‘Resolutely Resist an Imposed Peace’
The “supreme leader” of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared in comments on Wednesday that his Islamist regime would “resolutely” oppose peace with Israel, America, or any of Israel’s allies if Iran considers the terms of peace to be “imposed” from abroad.
Khamenei’s comments were the first since President Donald Trump warned the Iranian terror regime that the U.S. government knows Khamenei’s location and considers him an “easy target,” suggesting he would not order his assassination “for now.” Trump also stated that “we,” presumably America and Israel, have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran” as a result of Israeli military activities in the past week.
Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” on Friday in response to intelligence suggesting that Iran was rapidly nearing the completion of the construction of a nuclear weapon.
“In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atomic bombs — nine,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a speech announcing the operation.
Hours before the operation began, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution condemning Iran for breaching international law with its illicit nuclear development, in particular its copious enrichment of uranium.
“Operation Rising Lion” has resulted in the elimination of several of Iran’s top military leaders, most prominently the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami. The IRGC is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Strikes also targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and propaganda broadcasters.
The Israeli government claimed on Wednesday that its air force had “destroyed the headquarters of the Iranian regime’s internal security” tasked with repressing internal dissent to the Islamist regime.
Iran has responded to the operation by targeting Israeli civilians, killing at least 24 at press time. Khamenei indicated that Iran’s missile barrages into Israeli cities would continue indefinitely, emphasizing that Iran would “never surrender” in response to Trump’s calls for Iran to seek a peaceful exit from the conflict.
“The Iranian nation will firmly stand against an imposed war, just as it will resolutely resist an imposed peace,” Khamenei said in a speech to the Iranian public. “This is a nation that will never surrender to any form of imposition.”
“Those with wisdom, who truly understand Iran, its people, and its long history, never speak to this nation with the language of threats. Iran will not yield,” he continued, according to the Iranian propaganda network PressTV.
Khamenei also warned the United States, which has not played any publicly known role in “Operation Rising Lion,” not to escalate its involvement. “The Americans must understand — any US military incursion will undoubtedly lead to irreversible consequences,” he emphasized.
Separately, the Iranian Defense Ministry threatened to “break the back” of Israel in statements on Wednesday, reinforcing Khamenei’s rejection of imminent peace.
“We are firmly in a defensive position, but we are utilizing all our offensive and defensive capabilities. The trenches of our defense front are broad, and people from all walks of life are involved,” ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Reza Talayi-Nik claimed, according to PressTV. Talayi-Nik claimed that Iran is using a “new missile system,” though outside sources have not confirmed this claim.
The ayatollah’s explicit rejection of peace followed a call by Trump for Iran to accept “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” in a message on Tuesday.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff,’” Trump wrote on his social media outlet Truth Social. “Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”
He added a personal message to Khamenei: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
Trump highlighted a warning to avoid attacking American assets or soldiers in the region, adding ominously, “our patience is wearing thin.”
The Iranian government has yet to target any American assets in response to the Israeli operation, but its many terror proxies in the Middle East have threatened America, particular in Iraq, following the eruption of active hostilities. Iraq is home to several major terrorist groups funded by Iran, many of them integrated into the Iraqi military through the “Popular Mobilization Forces” (PMF), a coalition of armed groups created during the era of the Islamic State caliphate.
Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), one of the most powerful of these proxies, issued statements this week vowing to attack American bases and the U.S. embassy in Iraq “without hesitation” if the U.S. takes an active role in aiding Israeli operations.
“If America intervenes in the war, we will act without any hesitation against its interests and bases in the region,” KH said in a statement this week, referring to America as the “great Satan.”
