Khamenei makes first public statement after end of Israel-Iran war

Dubai: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public statement Thursday after the end of the Israel-Iran war.

Khamenei took shelter in a secret location during the 12-day war, appearing only twice in videos, as the Israelis had free rein over the country's skies and pounded Tehran before the US intervened on its behalf.

He said that Iran achieved victory over Israel.

Israeli airstrikes decimated the upper ranks of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and depleted its arsenal of ballistic missiles.

Israeli missiles and American bunker buster bombs damaged the nuclear programme — though how much remains disputed.

Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance," a group of allied countries and militias in the Mideast, has been mauled by the Israelis since Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack. (AP)