Iran will not remain silent in the face of violations of their airspace, nor will it be subdued by any military intervention, said the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday during a televised address to his country. The Ayatollah was speaking during a live televised address to the Islamic Republic.
In his first speech since tensions between Iran and Israel escalated on June 13, Khamenei said, “Our nation will not forsake the blood of their martyrs, nor will they remain silent in the face of violations of their airspace."
The Iranian leader also had words of warning for America in his speech. Speaking on US President Donald Trump’s demand that the country offer an unconditional surrender, Khamenei said, "Americans should know that the Iranian nation cannot be subdued, and any military intervention on their part will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage."
The Iranian leader further said Iran won’t accept “imposed war”, nor an imposed “peace”.
"Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender," he said. Israel had made a big mistake and would be punished for that, he added.
On June 13, Israel launched air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, including Natanz, Isfahan, and Tehran residences, killing senior IRGC leaders. The next day, Iran’s fired hundreds of missiles at Israel, some evading interception, causing civilian casualties.
The conflict has also drawn in the US which has thrown its diplomatic and military weight behind Israel while also urging de-escalation. Trump had said the best thing for Iran to do, according to him, was to unconditionally surrender.
