US President Donald Trump has claimed he personally prevented the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent Israel-Iran conflict — a move he says has gone unappreciated.
In a statement posted Friday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he knew Khamenei’s exact location during the height of the war and stopped U.S. or Israeli forces from targeting him.
> “I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,” Trump wrote. “And he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’”
Trump criticized Khamenei for failing to show gratitude, especially after the Iranian leader publicly downplayed the damage caused by U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Khamenei also claimed Iran had defeated Israel and humiliated the United States.
Trump responded by suspending discussions on lifting sanctions against Iran and warned that further military action could follow if Tehran continues to enrich uranium.
“If they’re still trying to build nuclear weapons, we’ll bomb them again — without question,” Trump said during a press conference.
Trump’s remarks come amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran after 12 days of conflict. Khamenei reappeared publicly in a televised address Thursday, celebrating what he called Iran’s “victory” and insisting Washington had been dealt a “slap.”
He dismissed Trump’s claims, saying, “The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied Trump’s assertion that nuclear talks with the U.S. would resume, stating no such negotiations were planned.
The verbal back-and-forth highlights ongoing tensions, even as diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction.
