Khamenei Vows Iran ‘Will Never Surrender’ as Israel Pounds Tehran

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday vowed that his nation “will never surrender,” defiantly rejecting President Donald Trump’s call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as Israeli airstrikes pummeled targets across Iran for a sixth consecutive day.

“It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender,” Khamenei posted on X. “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.”

Trump, addressing the escalating violence on Tuesday, warned, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Khamenei countered Wednesday in another X post: “The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats.”

The Supreme Leader warned any U.S. military involvement would backfire. “The US entering in this matter is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter,” he said in a televised address.

The conflict erupted last week as Israel launched strikes against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure amid stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Since then, over 1,100 sites have been hit, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.

As Israel continued its campaign, airstrikes targeted weapons production facilities in Tehran and destroyed several Iranian attack helicopters at Kermanshah airport. Defrin emphasized Israel’s objectives: “removing the existential threat to the State of Israel, significantly impairing the nuclear program in all its components, and inflicting substantial damage to the missile array.”

Iranian forces fired missile barrages at Israel overnight, though the IDF reported no casualties. Meanwhile, panicked residents flooded highways out of Tehran, seeking refuge in other Iranian cities and neighboring countries.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned of severe consequences if the U.S. joined forces with Israel. “Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region,” he told Al Jazeera English.

Russia echoed those concerns, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov urging Washington to avoid direct military involvement. “This would be a step that would radically destabilize the entire situation,” Ryabkov said Wednesday, warning against speculative military options.

Moscow condemned Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying, “Nuclear facilities are being struck… The world is millimetres from catastrophe.” She invoked the Fukushima disaster, warning of potential radiation dangers.

Iranian officials insisted that their nuclear program remains intact. “We will continue to produce the enriched uranium as far as we need for peaceful purposes,” said Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, Ali Bahreini. “Our scientists will continue their work.”

As the conflict deepens, analysts point to the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant–built beneath a mountain–as a key target that may require U.S.-made bunker-buster bombs to destroy. Whether the U.S. will provide such weapons or step into the fight is a question gripping the world’s attention.

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