Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hadn’t been heard from in a week, but on Thursday he delivered a delusional videotaped message presumably from deep within a bunker claiming that the U.S. “Operation Midnight Hammer” on Iran’s nuclear facilities was a failure and that no major damage had been done.
He also tried to portray the Islamic Republic as the victor in the conflict despite the fact that his country has taken repeated poundings from the Israelis and Americans:
“It [the U.S.] entered the war to save it [Israel], but it did not achieve anything from this war. They attacked our nuclear facilities, but they were unable to do anything important,” he said.
Khamenei claimed President Trump “exaggerated” the results of the U.S. strikes on Iran. “They could not do anything, they could not achieve their goal, and they are exaggerating to cover up the truth,” he said.
He added that Iran “dealt America a hand slap in the face” by attacking one of the U.S. bases in the region and claimed that the Trump administration tried to minimize the damages caused.
As we’ve reported, Iran’s counter-attack to “Midnight Hammer” was largely a dud, and they notified Qatar beforehand. The U.S. had moved most of the equipment and personnel anyway.
Thanks for the Warning—Iran Reportedly Gave Qatar the Heads-Up Before Attack
This does not look like a victor:
Ali Khamenei’s pre-recorded video claiming “victory” shows a defeated old man who is speaking incoherently. The specter of downfall is visible on his frail face. pic.twitter.com/wbiWVWSXk2
— Reza Behrouz (@RBehrouzDO) June 26, 2025
He went on to declare victory over Israel:
“I offer my congratulations on the victory over the fallacious Zionist regime,” a message posted Thursday on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s X account declared. Another post added the bold claim that Israel’s government “was practically knocked out and crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic.”
He must not have been notified of this:
This was an Israeli victory 🇮🇱
Your entire military leadership was eliminated. pic.twitter.com/RgjHfERe7k
— REAL JEW (@THEREALJEW613) June 26, 2025
The difference in narratives is striking, considering the facts:
They [Israel] may have been targeted, but in reality, Iran’s 12 days of missile launches saw relatively few rockets evade Israel’s air defenses. A total of 28 people were killed, and none of them have been identified as government officials, but rather civilians killed when missiles struck apartment buildings and cities.
Israel’s strikes on Iran killed at least 30 military commanders, on the other hand, and, in combination with the U.S. strikes over the weekend, “obliterated” the country’s nuclear program, according to President Trump.
Khamenei is not the only Iranian who is prone to painting some kind of weird alternate reality; take a look at recent headlines from the propaganda outlet Tehran Times if you need a laugh:
Propaganda Outlet ‘Tehran Times’ Delivers Laugh-Out-Loud Response to Iran’s Drubbing by US, Israel
Khamenei looks old and defeated in this video, but he and his repulsive regime are still dangerous and their threats must be taken seriously. That being said, when the “Supreme Leader” spouts fantasy like this, and the Iranian propaganda machine publishes huge headlines that are basically full of complete nonsense, they look awfully foolish.
