Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday, June 18, declared that the “battle has begun” with his symbolic post on X, (formerly Twitter). Referencing Islamic history, he wrote, “In the name of Nami, the battle begins. Ali returns to Khaybar with his Zulfiqar,” a line heavy with religious and cultural significance.
The post came shortly after US President Donald Trump made a series of dramatic statements on social media, warning Iran’s leadership of potential military action. “We know exactly where the so-called Supreme Leader is hiding,” Trump wrote, calling Khamenei “an easy target." He added, "we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”
The public exchange has pushed the already tense situation into a dangerous new territory, just five days into a conflict that has seen Israel carry out widespread strikes across Iran.
Trump Cuts G7 Trip Short, Warns Tehran
Trump, who has taken a visibly aggressive stance on the conflict, urged Iran’s 9.5 million residents in Tehran to flee the city, an appeal that came as he abruptly ended his visit to the G7 summit in Canada and rushed back to Washington for emergency security talks.
In one post, he claimed that the US now had “complete control of the skies over Tehran.” According to a US official quoted by ANI, Trump had recently rejected a secret Israeli proposal to assassinate Khamenei, fearing such a move would ignite a much larger regional crisis.
Despite the rejection, Israel believes it has dealt significant damage to Iran’s infrastructure and is pushing for further backing from Washington to deliver what it hopes will be a decisive blow to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
