Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a series of ominous warnings Tuesday night as President Donald Trump considered three military strategies in response to the escalating war.
Khamenei shared a striking image showing fireballs raining down on an ancient city, with a sword-wielding figure storming its gates. “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins,” he wrote in Farsi, invoking Imam Ali—regarded by Shia Muslims as the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed.
In an English-language message, Khamenei intensified his rhetoric: “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime,” he said, adding, “We will show the Zionists no mercy.”
Iranian state television added to the tension, declaring, “Tonight, a great surprise will occur—one that the world will remember for centuries.”
Amid the escalating threats, Trump reportedly weighed military retaliation against Tehran during emergency discussions in the White House Situation Room. According to The New York Times, advisors presented him with three possible responses as the U.S. considers how to support Israel in dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.
The first option calls for U.S. support in the form of intelligence and mid-air refueling for Israeli bombing raids. The second proposes coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. The most aggressive plan involves a full U.S.-led military campaign, featuring B-1 and B-2 bombers, aircraft carriers, and submarine-launched cruise missiles.
Preparations appear to be underway. Four U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers, capable of delivering nuclear or precision-guided payloads, were spotted Monday on the runway at Diego Garcia, a key base in the Indian Ocean within range of Iran.
At the same time, Trump escalated his own rhetoric, calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and warning that the U.S. knows where Khamenei is hiding—though he added, “we don’t want him dead… for now.”
Earlier this year, Trump had pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward diplomatic engagement with Iran. But during a meeting with top aides at Camp David, he appeared to change course, telling them, “I think we might have to help him.”
