Iran's Supreme Leader Warns of Stronger Response to Potential Attacks

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran was ready to face any new round of military strikes, and could inflict a heavier blow on its opponents than it did in the recent 12-day war with Israel.

"The readiness of our people to face the forces of the U.S. and its dog on a leash – the Zionist regime (Israel) – is praiseworthy," Khamenei said.

Last month, the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, despite Iran's repeated assertions that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. In response, Iran attacked a U.S. base in Qatar. "The base that Iran attacked is a very sensitive American base in the region, and we have the ability to inflict heavier blows on the U.S. and other countries," Khamenei said.

In a statement, Khamenei wrote, "The aggressor's plan is to weaken the regime by attacking certain figures and sensitive centers in Iran." He called Israel's actions intended to incite "unrest, to bring people to the streets to overthrow the regime."

Israel claimed that the full-scale attacks on Iran began a day after U.S. President Trump's 60-day ultimatum on the nuclear deal expired, targeting senior Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile programs, which it said was necessary to prevent Iran from realizing its publicly stated plans to destroy the Jewish state.

Iranian political leaders were not targeted in the attacks, and Israeli Defense Minister Katz claimed that the war's "goal is not regime change."

However, Masoud Pezeshkian had previously accused Israel of trying to assassinate him. Iranian media reported last Sunday that, early in the war, Israel bombed a building where Pezeshkian was meeting with Iran's Supreme National Security Council. The report said he narrowly escaped, suffering only a leg injury. Khamenei was also reportedly hiding in a secret bunker in eastern Iran during the war.

Iran is currently facing pressure to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S. – with the U.S. and three European powers having set a deadline of the end of August to reach an agreement. The French foreign minister has indicated that if no progress is made by then, the "snapback" mechanism would automatically take effect, and all international sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), i.e. the Iran nuclear deal, would be reimposed.

Despite this, the Iranian parliament issued a statement on Wednesday via the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) saying that Tehran would not restart nuclear talks with the U.S. unless preconditions were met.

"We are fully prepared every time we enter the scene, whether in the diplomatic or military arena, and we do not do so from a position of weakness," Khamenei said, adding that diplomats should continue to work in accordance with "guidelines."

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Further Analysis:

Khamenei's address underscores Iran's determination to maintain a strong stance in the face of international pressure. The emphasis on both military and diplomatic readiness is intended to deter potential aggression and project Iran's power in the region. However, the threat of stronger strikes could further escalate regional tensions.