Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 1: Donald Trump on Sunday warned that the United States would strike Iran with “force that has never been seen before” if Tehran retaliates against US and Israeli attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“They better not do that, however, because if they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before!” he wrote in capital letters.

Earlier, Trump had vowed that the strikes would continue until the fall of the Islamic Republic and urged Iranian security forces to stand down.

Following the confirmation of Khamenei’s death, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf strongly condemned the United States and Israel, calling their leaders “filthy criminals” who would face “devastating blows” for ongoing attacks on Iran.

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Qalibaf said in a televised address. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”

Iranian state television confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday, hours after Trump announced the killing of the 86-year-old cleric, whom he described as “one of the most evil people in history.”

The escalating rhetoric has further heightened tensions in West Asia, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.