After over a week in hiding, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a bold statement amid the war with Israel and recent U.S. attacks. Reports claim Khamenei has been in an underground bunker fearing assassination attempts. Still unseen in public, he declared online, *“The American regime entered a direct war… however, it gained no achievements. The Islamic Republic emerged victorious and delivered a hard slap to America’s face.”*

Concern had grown among Iranians about Khamenei’s absence. His aide, Mehdi Fazaeli, reassured citizens that their leader was safe and would return in victory.

The current conflict intensified after Israel launched missiles at Iran. In response, Donald Trump bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites, claiming he had *“totally obliterated”* their weapons. He wrote on Truth Social, *“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding… We are not going to take him out – at least not for now.”*

Iran retaliated by firing missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar. Trump then called for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, but both sides quickly violated it.

Meanwhile, Russia’s President Putin condemned the U.S. strikes as *“unprovoked aggression”* and pledged support for Iran, raising fears of broader conflict.