Ayatollah Khamenei Warns US: Iran's Strategic Retaliation and Future Threats

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Thursday that his nation had 'delivered a hand slap to America's face' following a recent conflict and warned against further US aggression. In his first public remarks since a ceasefire with Israel was declared, Khamenei asserted Iran's resilience.

Speaking to the Iranian public via a broadcast, Khamenei appeared visibly weary. He alleged that the US intervened in the war with Israel fearing the Zionist regime's destruction but claimed they gained nothing from this intervention. He referenced an Iranian missile strike on a US base in Qatar as part of Iran's retaliatory measures.

Khamenei warned of Iran's capability to target US interests in the region, threatening a 'heavy price' for any future aggression. His speech follows weeks of conflict sparked by Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and a US-mediated ceasefire agreement underway since Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)