Iran's Supreme Leader says 'let the battle begin' in chilling post
It comes as reports said Donald Trump was considering a possible US strike on Iran, as a conflict with Israel continues
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared that the "battle begins," as an escalating conflict between his country and Israel enters its sixth day and sparks fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
In an X post written in Farsi on Tuesday, Khamenei wrote: “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins." Haidar is a name used for Ali, who Shia Muslims believe is the first Imam and successor to the Prophet Mohammed.
In another post, Khamenei wrote that Iran "must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy."
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It comes as reports said US President Donald Trump was considering a possible US strike on Iran, after he met with top national security officials at the White House Situation Room on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" and said that America knew where Khamenei was hiding. The president added that he doesn’t want the Supreme Leader killed “for now.”
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said on social media. “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.”
Trump left the Group of Seven Summit in Canada a day early on Monday so he could return to Washington to address the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. His departure came hours after he urged "everyone" in Iran to "immediately evacuate" the capital Tehran.
"Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. "Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"
Talks between the US and Iran on a deal on its nuclear program were due to take place last week but were suspended indefinitely after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Tehran early Friday.
Israel attacked Iran in a series of strikes that killed top Iranian military officers and hit nuclear and missile sites, sparking the latest conflict. Iran retaliated with a wave of missile attacks targeting Israel hours later, raising concerns of an all-out war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attack was necessary to stave off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday accused Netanyahu of attacking Iran to deliberately derail the talks with Washington.
Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that Iran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003.
The Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran since Friday. Meanwhile, 24 people have been killed in Israel.
