Trump to Iran's leader: 'You got beat to hell', Warns of New Strikes if Uranium Enrichment Continues

By Ahora Qadi

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that he prevented the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the recent US-Israel military campaign, while declaring he would not hesitate to order fresh strikes on Iran if intelligence indicated continued uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels.

Trump: Khamenei ‘got beat to hell’

Speaking during a press conference at the White House on Friday, Trump lashed out at Khamenei for declaring that Iran had “slapped America in the face” following a retaliatory missile attack on a major US military base in Qatar. The attack came after US air raids targeted key Iranian nuclear and military sites, which Trump insisted were destroyed. “It was a great time to end it,” he said, referring to the hostilities.

Trump stated that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had been “obliterated” during the strikes and ridiculed the supreme leader’s rhetoric. “You got beat to hell,” he said. The president claimed that he knew the exact location where Khamenei was sheltering and had personally stopped what he described as the war’s largest planned attack on Tehran. “It was going to be the biggest attack of the war, by far,” Trump said, adding that he had ordered Israel to withdraw a large wave of fighter jets that were en route to the Iranian capital.

Sanctions relief abruptly halted

The president said he had been working on lifting sanctions and other measures that could have accelerated Iran’s recovery, but dropped the effort after Khamenei’s remarks. “The sanctions are BITING,” he wrote, blaming Tehran’s leadership for choosing hostility over diplomacy. “Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them.”

Fresh bombing possible if enrichment continues

Trump warned that he would authorize further military action “without question” if Iran continued uranium enrichment. “Sure, without question, absolutely,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about launching another strike. He reiterated that Iran’s nuclear sites were “very evil” and that their destruction had severely undermined Tehran’s ambitions.

IAEA inspections demanded, but Iran resists

The president also called for inspections of the bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, expressing support for oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another “respected source.” However, Iran’s parliament voted on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the agency, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi signaled that Tehran may reject any request for access.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that resuming inspections remained the agency’s top priority, especially as none had occurred since Israeli strikes began on June 13.

Trump rejected claims that the damage to the sites was overstated, saying, “I believe the sites were obliterated,” and dismissed doubts about the effectiveness of the strikes.

Trump: Iran ‘wants to meet’ despite tensions

Despite heightened tensions, Trump insisted Iran was seeking a return to negotiations. “So Iran wants to meet,” he said, asserting that Tehran was now more inclined to dialogue after suffering extensive losses. However, Iran’s top diplomat stated on Wednesday that there were “no plans” for new talks, and the White House confirmed on Thursday that no meeting had been scheduled between the US and Iranian delegations.

In a closing appeal, Trump called on Iranian leaders to reconsider their confrontational stance. “They have no hope, and it will only get worse,” he warned, before concluding his Truth Social post with a final message: “I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE”