Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” warning that any American military involvement would bring “irreparable damage.”
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In a statement read out on Iranian state television — his first since Israel began bombing Iran on Friday — Khamenei said: “Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender.”
The warning comes amid intense military escalation in the region, with Israeli airstrikes targeting Tehran and other strategic sites in Iran. According to Israel’s military, over 50 jets bombed approximately 20 targets overnight, including missile production facilities and air defense radars. Thousands of civilians were reported to be fleeing Tehran in the aftermath.
A source close to U.S. decision-making circles said President Trump is weighing options that include joining Israel in direct strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has warned that any such move would provoke retaliation. “The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” Khamenei emphasized.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, accused the U.S. of being “complicit” in the Israeli attacks and dismissed Trump’s surrender call as “hostile” and “unwarranted.” He asserted that Israel’s strikes had caused limited damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding: “We will continue to produce enriched uranium as needed for peaceful purposes.”
Bahreini reiterated Iran’s longstanding position that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, and dismissed the idea of a setback to Iran’s nuclear advancement. “Our scientists will continue their work,” he said.
In response to the Israeli attacks, Iran has replaced the radar system at its critical Soubashi site in western Hamedan province, which has been repeatedly targeted since Friday. The radar was a key node in Iran’s western air defense network.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television accused WhatsApp — a popular messaging platform owned by Meta — of collecting user data to aid Israel, urging citizens to uninstall the app. WhatsApp denied the claim, calling it “false and dangerous,” especially during an ongoing crisis. “We do not provide bulk information to any government,” the company stated.
Cybersecurity experts noted that while WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, metadata may still offer insights into usage patterns. Concerns were also raised about data sovereignty, with experts saying that Iran’s data might be stored on foreign servers.
The Iranian government has begun tightening control over digital communication, disrupting access to social media, blocking international calls, and reporting cyberattacks on major banks, including Bank Sepah and Bank Pasargad. A hacker group called “Predatory Sparrow” claimed responsibility for at least one of the attacks.
Israel also released black-and-white footage showing its forces destroying five Iranian AH-1 attack helicopters in the Kermanshah region. Iran has yet to comment on the reported losses.
As both sides escalate militarily and digitally, fears grow over a broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and possibly the United States. While President Trump has not made a final decision, insiders suggest any joint action with Israel would significantly raise the stakes in an already volatile situation.
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