US Defence Secretary Hegseth claims total destruction as Iran’s Supreme Leader dismisses attack impact

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has used his first public comments since the ceasefire with Israel to declare that Tehran’s strike on a US base in Qatar was a direct affront to America, while dismissing the impact of recent US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

In a recorded video aired on state television, Mr Khamenei appeared for the first time since June 19, visibly weary and speaking in a hoarse voice.

The 86-year-old leader, who had not been seen publicly since taking shelter during the conflict, delivered a speech laced with warnings and threats toward the US and Israel.

The more-than 10 minute speech by the supreme leader was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel.

He played down Sunday’s US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that US President Donald Trump - who said the attack “completely and fully obliterated Iran’s nuclear program - had “exaggerated” its impact.

“They could not achieve anything significant,” he said.

However, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated on Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and US strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities “is very, very, very considerable”.

“I think annihilated is too much but it suffered enormous damage,” Grossi told French broadcaster RFI.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, on Wednesday also conceded that “our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure”.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sharply contradicted any suggestion that Iran’s nuclear program remains largely intact, insisting at a Pentagon press conference that the recent US air strikes had “destroyed” or “decimated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated, choose your word, this was a historically successful attack,” Mr Hegseth declared.

He criticised media outlets for reporting on leaked preliminary intelligence that suggested the strikes set back Iran’s program by only a few months, calling such reporting an insult to US pilots and intelligence officials.

Mr Hegseth also cited assessments from Israel’s atomic agency, the CIA, and the UN, though UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi had separately noted the possibility that Iran had moved much of its enriched uranium before the attack.

The FBI has launched an investigation into the leak of the preliminary intelligence assessment.

Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists.

Following Sunday’s US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect on Tuesday.

Mr Khamenei claimed the US had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed”.

“It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,” he said.

He said his country’s attack on the US base in Qatar on Monday was significant, since it showed Iran “has access to important US centres in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary”.

“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, adding “this action can be repeated in the future”.

“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” he said.

Since the ceasefire, life has been gradually returning to normal in Iran.

On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been shut down since the war broke out, and shops in the capital of Tehran began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets.

Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5332 people wounded.

The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures on Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1054 and wounded 4476.

The group said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces.

At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1000 wounded, according to officials there.

Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace.

Iran has not acknowledged any such talks would take place, though US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries.

A sixth round of US-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was cancelled after Israel attacked Iran on June 13.

Iran has insisted it will not give up its nuclear program.

Trump said “Sure” on Wednesday when asked if the US would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear enrichment program.

- with Reuters and AP