Iran’s supreme leader warns of “irreparable damage” if the US joins Israel’s strikes, as tensions escalate and casualties mount in the Middle East

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]ran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued a stern warning to the United States, rejecting calls for surrender amid Israel’s ongoing strikes and cautioning that any American military involvement would result in “irreparable damage.”

Also read: Trump announced no immediate strike on Iran, urges Tehran evacuation amid Mideast crisis

In a recorded statement aired by state television on Wednesday, Khamenei responded directly to comments by US President Donald Trump, who had earlier demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and hinted that America knew the cleric’s whereabouts but had “no plans to kill him – at least not for now.”

Khamenei condemned Trump’s remarks as “threatening and absurd,” asserting that “wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats. The Iranian nation is not one to surrender.”

The defiant message came as Israeli strikes intensified, hitting targets in and around Tehran, including facilities used to produce uranium centrifuges and missile components.

The Israeli military also claimed to have intercepted 10 incoming missiles overnight.

Iran has launched more than 400 missiles and hundreds of drones since the conflict began, reportedly killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds more.

In turn, Israeli attacks have devastated Iranian infrastructure, including military and nuclear sites, killing at least 585 people, among them 239 civilians, according to Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based monitoring group.

Americans should know that any military involvement… will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.

Shops across Tehran remained shut on Wednesday as panic grew among residents. Explosions in the capital’s eastern district of Hakimiyeh, near a paramilitary academy, suggested intensified Israeli targeting of high-value assets.

Iranian officials have largely withheld updated casualty figures but last stated 224 deaths and over 1,200 injuries.

Tensions remain high over Iran’s nuclear programme. While US intelligence does not currently assess that Iran is actively developing a nuclear weapon, Israel has cited the threat as justification for its offensive.

Iran continues to enrich uranium up to 60% purity – technically just short of weapons-grade – and insists the programme remains peaceful.

Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to Geneva, confirmed that enrichment activities will persist. “Our scientists will continue their work,” he said, rejecting claims that Israeli strikes had significantly hindered nuclear research.

Meanwhile, Israelis have begun returning on repatriation flights as Ben Gurion International Airport reopened after days of closure due to missile threats.

Two flights from Cyprus landed safely on Wednesday morning, offering a brief reprieve amid a conflict with no immediate end in sight.