Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei escalated tensions with Israel and the United States on Tuesday, declaring “the battle begins” in a statement posted on X, just hours after President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

“In the name of #Haider, the battle begins. Ali returns to #Khaybar with his Zulfiqar,” Khamenei wrote in Farsi, referencing the Battle of Khaybar and the sword wielded by Islam’s first imam, Ali.

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei with an ominous message:

‘The BATTLE begins’ ‘Allahu Akbar’ pic.twitter.com/ZwDPUhanKL — RT (@RT_com) June 18, 2025

The message appeared amid rising military action between Iran and Israel and growing involvement from the United States.

Iranian state media also warned of a significant event on Tuesday night into Wednesday, calling it a “surprise” that “the world will remember for centuries.”

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Shortly after midnight Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported multiple air raid sirens in northern Israel due to what it described as a “hostile aircraft infiltration.”

Sirens were activated in the Golan Heights region, and the IDF later confirmed that three Iranian drones had been intercepted and shot down.

The Times of Israel first reported the drone incursion.

Iran responded with two missile barrages directed at Israel, with explosions reported over Tel Aviv.

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In response, the IDF deployed fifty Israeli fighter jets that carried out strikes on Iranian targets, including a centrifuge production site and multiple weapons manufacturing facilities located around Tehran.

“These strikes directly degrade Iran’s ability to threaten Israel and the region,” the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement posted to X.

⭕️ The IDF struck a centrifuge production site and multiple weapon manufacturing facilities in the Tehran area, key elements of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Over 50 IAF fighter jets targeted: - A facility for producing centrifuges used to enrich uranium beyond… pic.twitter.com/YXMiKAJWVz — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 18, 2025

Israeli officials issued evacuation alerts for Iranian civilians in southwestern Tehran, anticipating further strikes.

Iran’s state-run news agencies reported that Israeli strikes targeted a university connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Khojir ballistic missile facility near the Iranian capital.

According to Israeli defense officials, their forces struck significant components of Iran’s missile and nuclear weapons infrastructure during the overnight raids on Wednesday.

Khamenei’s X account has continued to publish imagery showing Iranian missiles targeting Israel and depicting fire raining down on Israeli cities.

The Iranian leader has maintained a defiant tone despite the losses reported by both Iranian and international observers.

The current conflict, which is now in its sixth day, began when Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and uranium enrichment infrastructure.

Israeli airstrikes have reportedly destroyed Iran’s anti-air defense systems, giving Israeli forces control of the airspace over Tehran.

President Donald Trump confirmed that most of Iran’s air defense network had been destroyed. He addressed the situation in a series of posts on Truth Social.

“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff,’” Trump wrote.

“Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”

"We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured “stuff.” Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA." - President… pic.twitter.com/V3ZMYGIusG

— U.S. State Dept - Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) June 17, 2025

Trump also issued a direct message to Iran’s leadership, calling for their complete surrender and referencing intelligence regarding Khamenei’s whereabouts.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.…” pic.twitter.com/G6jdjccue9

— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) June 17, 2025

According to Israeli officials, multiple high-ranking members of Iran’s military and nuclear programs were killed in recent airstrikes.

The attacks have also led to significant losses in Iran’s missile and weapons manufacturing capabilities.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank monitoring the conflict, reported that Tehran has drastically reduced the scale of its missile attacks.

While Iran initially launched over 200 missiles during the first six waves of strikes, the last two salvos were limited to approximately three dozen missiles each.

The situation remains fluid, with both Israel and Iran maintaining heightened alert status and the United States continuing to support its ally through military coordination and diplomatic pressure.

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