On the 16th local time, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, warned countries including the United States that Iran has the capability to implement heavier strikes. He emphasized,
“Iran does not seek war on its own, but will resolutely counter any aggression.”
During a meeting with officials from the judicial department, Khamenei stated that Iran’s previous response to the US attack had precisely targeted the US’s highly sensitive core facilities in the region and warned that Iran could also impose heavier strikes on other countries.
Khamenei stressed that Iran consistently opposes war, but will resolutely counter when faced with an enemy’s offensive. He mentioned that Israel is powerless to defend itself alone and has been forced to seek help from the US, while calling for international accountability for the crimes committed by Israel in recent conflicts.
Following a large-scale airstrike by Israel against Iran on June 13, both sides launched multiple rounds of attacks on each other. On the same day, on June 21, the US bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran. On June 23, Iran launched missile attacks against the US Air Force base in Qatar, and on June 24, both countries ceased hostilities as arranged by the US.