Khamenei Tells Trump to ‘Keep Dreaming’ Over Claims of Destroying Iran’s Nuclear Sites

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday dismissed assertions by former US President Donald Trump that American forces had destroyed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities in airstrikes conducted in June.

In a statement published on his official website, Khamenei told Trump to “keep dreaming” in response to his claims, questioning the former president’s authority “to say what a country should or should not have if it possesses a nuclear industry.”

In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign targeting Iranian positions. The United States briefly joined the offensive, reportedly striking key Iranian nuclear facilities.

During a speech last week at the Israeli Knesset, Trump once again claimed that the operation had been a complete success, saying the US had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites.

“So we dropped 14 bombs on Iran’s key nuclear facilities. Totally as I said originally — obliterating them, and that’s been confirmed,”
— Donald Trump, speaking at the Israeli Knesset

In an interview with Fox News the following Sunday, Trump further claimed that Iran “no longer became the bully of the Middle East” after what he described as “the most beautiful military operation.”

While Trump boasted of destroying Iran’s nuclear capability, the Pentagon has offered a far more measured assessment.

According to US defence officials, the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme by one to two years — a finding that contradicts an initial classified intelligence report circulated in Washington, which reportedly concluded the delay was no more than a few months.

Khamenei sharply criticised Trump’s statements, describing them as “improper, wrong, and bullying.”

“Such words reveal the arrogance of those who think they can dictate to other nations. They do not reflect strength, but weakness,”
— Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The Iranian leader accused Washington of spreading misinformation and attempting to manipulate international opinion about Iran’s nuclear programme.

The June conflict with Israel unfolded just two days before a planned sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which had been ongoing since April.

Those talks have since collapsed, with Iran insisting it will only return to the table if the United States guarantees that no further military action will be taken against it.

Khamenei’s rebuke underscores Tehran’s continued distrust of Washington and its allies, suggesting that prospects for reviving the stalled nuclear dialogue remain bleak unless the United States commits to non-aggression assurances.