Khamenei promises 'strong blow' if Trump bombs Iran

Khamenei's warning, delivered in a televised speech marking the end of Ramadan, came a day after Trump told NBC News that if a deal was not reached, "there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."

Khamenei said, "The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow."

"If the enemies think they can instigate sedition within the country, the Iranian nation itself will respond to them," he added.

As Khamenei delivered these remarks, the crowd erupted into chants of "Death to America." He held an assault rifle in his hand—echoing a tradition from the 1980s, when clerics often appeared armed during sermons following the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

He did not specify what he meant by sedition. Iranian authorities often blame the West for protests, including those sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody for alleged hijab violations in 2022, and the 2019 nationwide demonstrations over fuel price increases.

On Sunday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country rejects direct negotiations with the United States, but added that indirect talks can continue.

"The response by the Supreme Leader to Trump's letter was delivered to the US contact in Oman...In that response, direct negotiations have been rejected, but regarding indirect talks, Iran has always been involved in such talks, and the Supreme Leader has emphasized that indirect talks can still continue," Pezeshkian said.

Also on Sunday, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said that "Iran's response to the sent letter was prepared and delivered," as Iran's foreign ministry stressed the confidentiality of the exchanged letters.

Trump on Friday warned that “bad, bad things” would happen if Tehran did not agree to a nuclear deal.

While Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon the UN's nuclear watchdog says it has enriched more uranium than any state lacking a bomb.

In February, Trump signed a directive restoring the so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran of his first term and warned of "catastrophic" consequences if Tehran does not make a deal on its nuclear program.

Trump's maximum pressure approach in his first term, which started in 2018, pummeled Iran's economy, causing a dramatic decline in oil exports and skyrocketing inflation.

Earlier this week, Khamenei's senior adviser Ali Larijani, as well as prominent economists in Tehran said that Iran needs to address its problems with the United States urgently in a bid to lift or reduce US sanctions and give the ailing economy a chance to grow after many years of crises and stagnation.