United States President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning, stating that he would authorize immediate and decisive military strikes against Iran “without question” if the country resumes its nuclear weapons program. The bold declaration was made on Friday via his Truth Social platform and has since fueled intense global reactions and diplomatic discussions.
In his post, Trump claimed he personally intervened to prevent the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent violent escalations with Israel. According to Trump, he had exact intelligence on Khamenei’s location but chose to stop military actions to spare his life, which he described as saving Khamenei from a “very ugly and ignominious death.”
“I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces — by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World — terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’,” Trump wrote, emphasizing his decision as an act of restraint and strategic foresight.
Trump further explained that his administration had been in the process of considering sanctions relief and other supportive measures for Iran. However, he stated that Khamenei’s public expressions of “anger, hatred, and disgust” led him to abruptly cancel all plans related to easing economic restrictions on Tehran.
“I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery – The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” Trump added, highlighting his disappointment with Iran’s leadership.
The tension escalated further when Khamenei dismissed reports suggesting that U.S. and Israeli airstrikes had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities. Instead, Khamenei declared that Iran had defeated Israel and embarrassed the United States on the global stage, sparking Trump’s frustration and harsh responses.
Trump criticized Iran’s leadership for what he described as chronic hostility and self-destructive behavior. “They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them – A burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse,” he said in his post, underlining his belief that Iran’s current path was unsustainable and dangerous.
Adding to the confusion, Iran firmly denied any intention to resume nuclear negotiations with Washington. This contradicted Trump’s earlier statement at the NATO summit, where he confidently announced that fresh diplomatic talks were scheduled to begin the following week.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected a request from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, to inspect facilities allegedly targeted during the airstrikes. Tehran accused Grossi of bias, claiming he sided with the aggressors by demanding access at such a politically sensitive moment.
Trump’s special envoy to Iran, Steve Witkoff, expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of a peace agreement but warned that the U.S. was prepared to launch additional military operations if Iran resumed any nuclear-related activities. “We want peace, but we are fully prepared to act decisively if provoked,” Witkoff stated.
In concluding his message, Trump proclaimed that Iran “got beat to hell” during the recent conflict and described the current ceasefire, established after twelve days of fierce fighting, as an ideal opportunity for Iran to abandon aggressive ambitions and focus on rebuilding. However, Khamenei, speaking in a televised address, maintained that Iran had achieved “victory” against Israel and reaffirmed his commitment to resisting all forms of U.S. pressure and intervention.
This latest round of fiery exchanges between the U.S. and Iran highlights the fragile state of Middle Eastern geopolitics and underscores the potential for renewed hostilities if diplomatic efforts fail to gain traction in the coming weeks.