Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reacted to U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—on June 22, 2025, by stating on X that the “Zionist enemy” (referring to Israel) “has made a big mistake, committed a big crime; it must be punished and it is being punished; it is being punished right now.” He shared an image depicting airstrikes with a skull bearing the Star of David, symbolizing Israel, and wrote in Persian, “#RightNow the punishment continues.” Khamenei did not directly mention the U.S. or President Donald Trump, focusing instead on Israel as the primary adversary.
The U.S. strikes, involving 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, were part of “Operation Midnight Hammer” and aimed to cripple Iran’s nuclear program, escalating tensions after Israel’s earlier “Operation Rising Lion” on June 13. Khamenei’s aide, Hossein Shariatmadari, had previously threatened retaliation, including closing the Strait of Hormuz and striking U.S. naval forces in Bahrain. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian also condemned the U.S., vowing a response to the aggression. Reports suggest Khamenei is in hiding, communicating through aides, and has named potential successors, indicating heightened fears of assassination amid the conflict.