Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on July 16, 2025, that the country is ready to respond to any new military aggression with a far stronger reaction than in previous strikes. He commended Iran’s resilience against the United States and Israel, referring to the latter as Washington’s “dog on a leash.”
Reuters reported thatKhamenei’s statement comes at a time of growing international pressure on Iran to return to nuclear negotiations, with a late-August deadline approaching for either a potential deal or the reimposition of UN sanctions. He urged diplomats to negotiate from a position of strength, while the parliament rejected the idea of talks that are contingent on the removal of preconditions.
BREAKING: Iran 'ready to respond' to any renewed military attack, says Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameneihttps://t.co/TC2ROCL7wW
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 16, 2025Khamenei commended Iran’s ability to confront US power and Israel. “The fact that our nation is ready to face the power of the United States and its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime [Israel], is very praiseworthy,” he said during televised comments. He mentioned Iran’s missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar during the recent 12-day conflict. He added, “The base targeted by Iran was a highly sensitive American regional installation. An even greater blow could be dealt to the U.S. and others.”
Khamenei emphasised Iran’s strength in both military and diplomatic arenas. “In both the diplomatic and military fields, whenever we enter the stage, we do so with our hands full and not from a position of weakness,” he asserted.
Khamenei vows Iran is ready for a bigger response to any attack, boasting of its capabilities following military strikes on US bases, while rejecting US nuclear talks unless preconditions are met.https://t.co/OUREA2QY4A
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) July 16, 2025The United States and its European allies have set an end-of-August deadline to reach a nuclear deal. If negotiators fail to meet this timeline, they will reimpose UN sanctions. France’s foreign minister has specifically cautioned about the potential reintroduction of these sanctions. Iran’s parliament issued a statement rejecting further negotiations, declaring: “When the US uses negotiations as a means to deceive Iran and disguise a sudden military attack by the Zionist regime [Israel], discussions cannot continue as they have in the past.”
Read: Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Makes First Public Appearance Post-War at Ashura 2025
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has demanded guarantees against further attacks as a precondition for negotiations. Iran refuses to halt uranium enrichment or discuss its ballistic missile program. Prior indirect talks via Oman stalled over these demands.
