As high-stakes nuclear negotiations resumed Tuesday in Geneva under mounting U.S. military pressure, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei taunted President Donald Trump and warned that American warships could be sent “to the bottom of the sea,” denouncing the United States as a “corrupt, oppressive empire” in decline.
In a series of posts on Tuesday, Ali Khamenei published multiple statements on X escalating his rhetoric against the United States and directly challenging the President Trump and American military power.
The remarks came just one day after Trump said he would be “indirectly” involved in the Geneva talks and warned that while Iran “wants to make a deal,” the regime does not want “the consequences of not making a deal,” as U.S. forces continue repositioning assets across the region
In one post, Khamenei declared, “A sign of the decline of the corrupt, oppressive U.S. empire is its irrationality, such as interfering in our country’s internal affairs.”
“They say, ‘Limit your missiles to this range.’ What’s that to do with you?!” he added. “Without deterrent weaponry, a country will be crushed by the enemy.”
The statement appeared aimed at longstanding U.S. demands that Iran curb its ballistic missile program, which American officials have described as destabilizing and a threat to U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East.
In another post, acknowledging Iran’s endurance since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei referenced remarks he attributed to President Trump, writing, “The U.S. President has said that for 47 years, the United States hasn’t been able to eliminate the Islamic Republic. That is a good confession. I say, ‘You, too, will not be able to do this.’”
Khamenei also issued a pointed warning regarding U.S. naval deployments.
“The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran,” he wrote. “Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”
In another message, he challenged repeated assertions of American military dominance, writing, “The U.S. President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world. The strongest military force in the world may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again.”
The escalating rhetoric unfolded as U.S. officials describe a sustained military buildup designed to deter Tehran and prepare options should negotiations fail.
The tone echoed events just days earlier.
Last week, Iran’s ruling clerics commemorated the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with nationwide rallies that included the burning of American flags, staging mock coffins bearing the names of U.S. military leaders, and torching an effigy decorated with a Star of David and an image of President Trump.
Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV highlighted pro-regime children, airing footage of young participants chanting, “Death to America.”
In remarks aired Wednesday, Ali Ahmad Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder, warned Americans “will die” before Iran is humiliated, as he insisted Israel would be “erased” if Muslim nations ever acquire the military capability to do so.
Earlier this month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened regional war and accused President Trump of inciting violent protests during an online tirade marking the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
Iran will “put an end to the United States’ mischief,” he warned.
The threats arrive as the Trump administration maintains what officials describe as a dual-track approach — pursuing diplomacy while reinforcing deterrence — with the president warning that if negotiations fail, “it’s going to be a bad day for Iran — very bad.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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