In his first public address since a ceasefire was declared between Iran and Israel, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday responded to the recent US airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities. He downplayed the impact of the attacks, stating they caused minimal damage and “could not achieve much”. Khamenei also criticised US President Donald Trump, saying his actions were driven more by a need for showmanship. Claiming victory over Israel, Khamenei said that his country has “delivered a hand slap to America’s face”. Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19. In a video address, he told viewers that the US had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.” But he said, however, that the US “achieved no gains from this war.” “I offer my congratulations on the victory over the fallacious Zionist regime,” said Khamenei in a post on X. Addressing Donald Trump, Khamenei said the US President needed to do ‘showmanship’. Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to an Iranian missile attack on an American base in Qatar on Monday, which caused no casualties, Khamenei said, “The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face.” Full text of Khamenei’s speech In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Greetings and abundant salutations to the dear and great nation of Iran. Firstly, I honour the memory of the esteemed martyrs of recent events, the martyred commanders and scholars who were truly and fairly valuable to the Islamic Republic and served it. Today, God willing, they receive the reward for their outstanding services in the presence of the Almighty. I deem it necessary to offer my congratulations to the great nation of Iran. I extend several congratulations to the nation. The first is congratulations for the victory over the fake Zionist regime, with all its clamor and claims. The Zionist regime was almost brought to its knees and crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic. The thought that such blows could be dealt to the regime by the Islamic Republic never crossed their minds, and it happened. We thank God for assisting our armed forces, enabling them to penetrate their advanced multi-layered defense and level many of their urban and military areas under the pressure of their own missiles and the strong assault of their advanced weapons, reducing them to rubble. This is one of the greatest divine blessings. It demonstrates that the Zionist regime should know that aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran will come at a cost—a heavy cost—and, thank God, this has been proven. The credit belongs to our armed forces and our dear people who have nurtured, supported, and strengthened these forces from within, preparing and empowering them to accomplish such a great task. The second congratulations is for the victory of our dear Iran over the American regime. The American regime entered direct war because it felt that if it did not, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. It entered the war to save it, but it achieved nothing from this war. They attacked our nuclear facilities, which, of course, is an act worthy of criminal prosecution in an independent international court, but they could not accomplish anything significant. The U.S. president exaggerated what had happened in an unusual manner, and it became clear that he needed this exaggeration. Anyone who heard those words understood that beneath the surface of those words, another truth existed. They could not achieve their goals, and they exaggerate to cover up and conceal the truth. Here, too, the Islamic Republic emerged victorious, and in return, the Islamic Republic delivered a hard slap to the face of America by attacking one of its important bases in the region, the Al Udeid base, and inflicting damage. Those who had exaggerated in that matter tried to downplay this one, saying nothing happened, while a significant event had occurred. The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to important American centers in the region and can take action against them whenever deemed necessary is not a small matter—it is a major event. In the future, too, this event can be repeated if aggression occurs. The cost to the enemy, the aggressor, will be very high. The third congratulations is for the extraordinary unity and solidarity of the Iranian nation. Thank God, a nation of about 90 million people stands united, shoulder to shoulder, without any difference in their demands and goals, chanting slogans, speaking out, and supporting the actions of the armed forces. This will continue to be the case. The Iranian nation has shown its greatness, its distinguished and outstanding character, and demonstrated that when necessary, a single voice will be heard from this nation. Thank God, this has happened. The point I want to emphasize as a fundamental point is that the U.S. president, in one of his statements, said that Iran must surrender. Surrender! The issue is no longer about enrichment or the nuclear matter; it is about Iran’s surrender. Of course, this statement is far too big for the mouth of the U.S. president. Iran, with its grandeur, its history, its culture, and its resolute national will—surrender is a laughable notion for such a country, mocked by those who know the Iranian nation. However, his statement revealed a truth: since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the Americans have been engaged in a struggle against Islamic Iran, clashing with it. Each time, they come up with an excuse—one time it’s human rights, another time it’s defending democracy, another time it’s women’s rights, another time it’s the environment, another time it’s the nuclear issue, or some other pretext. But the essence of the matter is one thing only: Iran’s surrender. Previous leaders didn’t say this because it’s not acceptable in any human society to tell a nation to surrender. They hid it under other pretexts. This person revealed that truth, making it clear that the Americans will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender and nothing less. This is an important point for the Iranian nation to understand. The opposition to America and this great insult to the Iranian nation by the Americans will never happen—never. The Iranian nation is a great nation. Iran is a strong and vast country with an ancient civilization. Our cultural and civilizational wealth is hundreds of times greater than that of America and its likes. The expectation that Iran would surrender or become something else is one of those absurd notions that will surely be ridiculed by wise and knowledgeable people. The Iranian nation is dear and will remain dear. It is victorious and will remain victorious, by God’s grace. We hope that Almighty God will always keep this nation under the shadow of His blessings, with dignity and honor. May He elevate the status of our great Imam, and may the awaited Imam Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him) be pleased and satisfied with this nation, and may his support back this nation. And peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. The 86-year-old Khamenei hasn’t been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. In his appearance on Thursday, Khamenei sat in front of plain brown curtains to give his address, similar to his June 19 message. Following an American attack on June 22 that hit the nuclear sites with bunker-buster bombs, US President Donald Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.