Ayatollah Tells Trump “We Will Never Surrender” In Televised Speech To Nation

In a rare and important nationally televised wartime speech by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he warned against American military intervention on behalf of Israel. 

He set out three clear messages: first that Israel’s aggression happened when Tehran was engaged in indirect nuclear talks with the US and that there was no sign whatsoever that harsh military action was coming. This is confirmation he and the Islamic Republic were caught completely off-guard.

Axios had claimed that Washington knew about it, and that the talks were a smokescreen to allow Israel the element of total surprise when its warplanes began hitting Iranian nuclear sites.

Second, he asserted that the Americans should know that Iran is not going to surrender and that US entry into the war would bring irreversible destruction. 

A third main point Khamenei maid in the speech, even as bombs are still falling on Tehran and elsewhere, is that the American military’s entry into the conflict would be clear sign of weakness for Israel.

“The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” the Ayatollah said according to state translation.

“It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation.”

He continued: “The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.” And more:

The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.

The Zionist regime’s malicious attack on our country took place at a time when Iranian officials were indirectly engaged in negotiations with the US side. There was no indication on the part of Iran that signaled a military move.

Speaking on the question of potential direct US involvement already, Khamenei said, “It was already suspected that the US was involved in the malicious move carried out by the Zionist regime, but considering their recent remarks, this suspicion is growing stronger day by day.”

Is the US military involved already? One hawkish US Senator from Texas suggests so…

Ted Cruz on Iran. Full interview tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/hJNwAHAnxZ

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025

Meanwhile, 

• Israel says it has struck 40 sites in Iran today, including centrifuge production and weapons facilities, while Iran launched a swarm of drones at Israel. –AJ

• Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have raised the idea of assassinating Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Trump saying yesterday that he was “an easy target.” –NBC

However, he’s probably deep in an underground bunker at a secret location which is known only to his closest military aides at this point. Likely lran had long prepared such a location from which he could direct a massive war with Israel.

Currently, there are reports pointing to possible rapid depletion of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, and that many more ballistic and hypersonic missiles are getting through than expected. This reality could force either a direct American response or else a stalemated situation where Israel is at risk of failing in its key objectives.