Mojtaba Khamenei Responds to Trump, Warns US of 'Unforgettable Lesson'
Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned the United States that it will suffer an ‘unforgettable lesson’ at the hands of Tehran and its regional allies. He accused the US of repeatedly violating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries.
As reported by Al Jazeera on Sunday (19 July 2026), the written statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei was read out on Iranian state television on Saturday (18 July). The supreme leader said Washington’s violations of the MoU showed that President Donald Trump’s signature was ‘completely worthless and invalid’.
‘The repeated violations of the agreement by the Great Satan once again prove to everyone that the signature of the American president is now completely worthless and invalid, and that intimidation, hegemony and thuggery are inseparable components of American beliefs and doctrine,’ the statement read.
‘Now, if the American enemy seeks to spark war and suffer heavier costs and further humiliation, they must know that the beloved Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have an unforgettable lesson for them,’ it added.
The United States intensified its attacks on Iran this week, targeting civilian infrastructure including bridges, railways and a water desalination plant. Tehran has responded by striking civilian infrastructure in Kuwait, a country hosting US forces. Kuwait has urged all residents to conserve electricity.
The US-Israel war against Iran, which began in February 2026, is viewed as an existential threat by the country’s senior leadership. Tehran has shown no signs of yielding to the escalating demands of the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, regional countries continue to push behind the scenes for an end to the conflict. Khamenei said the US had ‘revealed its true face’, showing ‘falseness, irrationality, unreliability and wickedness’.
He called on the Iranian people to trust the leadership to protect the country, urging the public to remain ‘vigilant’ and ‘active’ as the fighting continues. Beyond direct attacks by Iran, the Houthi movement in Yemen is also reportedly able to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea in support of Iran, a key ally.
Such a move would further destabilise global energy markets, drive up inflation and place additional pressure on Trump to halt the attacks. The war is deeply unpopular in the United States and has caused economic hardship for American citizens.
The MoU, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan and signed last month, was intended to create conditions for the war to end permanently. However, Tehran and Washington have both declared the agreement ‘over’ after accusing each other of violating it.