Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared Iran’s recent military strike on a key U.S. base in the Middle East as a “heavy slap” to Washington, praising it as a major victory for the Islamic Republic.

Khamenei stated that Iran targeted and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base, one of America\'s strategic military installations in the region, in response to direct U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict to support Israel.

“The U.S. regime entered the war to save the Zionist regime from collapse but achieved nothing,” he said. He also warned that Iran retains the capability to strike again if provoked, adding, “The enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.”

Responding to U.S. President Joe Biden’s comment that “Iran must surrender,” Khamenei dismissed it as a statement too lofty to be taken seriously.

The comments come amid rising regional tensions and growing fears of broader military escalation.