Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Congratulates Country on 'Victory' Over Israel in Video Message

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has declared \"victory\" over Israel and claimed his country \"delivered a hard slap to America's face\", in his first public statement since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the two countries.

Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, appearing and sounding more tired than he did in his last video released seven days ago. He told viewers that the United States had only intervened in the war because \"it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed\", adding that the US \"achieved no gains from this war\".

\"The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America's face,\" he said, an apparent reference to an Iranian missile attack on an American base in Qatar on Monday, which caused no casualties. He also said the US would \"definitely pay a heavy price\" should it attack Iran again, adding that Iran \"has access to key US centres in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary\".

The 86-year-old Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war on earlier this month, when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. Following a massive American attack on Sunday that hit Iran's nuclear sites with bunker-buster bombs, US President Donald Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.

According to the source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.