Mojtaba Khamenei Responds to Trump's Death Claim, Iran Threatens US with 'Unforgettable Lesson'

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a stern warning to the United States after President Donald Trump claimed he had been killed in a military strike launched by Washington and Israel. Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement served as the first response confirming he is still alive after disappearing from public view for several months. In a written message read out on Iranian state television, he accused the United States of repeatedly violating a memorandum of understanding agreed upon by the two countries. Khamenei also warned that the US would face severe consequences if it continues to escalate the conflict with Tehran. In the statement broadcast on Saturday, 18 July 2026, Mojtaba Khamenei said Washington’s violations of the joint agreement demonstrate that the US government’s commitment cannot be trusted. He specifically highlighted the leadership of President Donald Trump, whom he deemed disrespectful of the agreements made. ‘The repeated violations of the agreement by the Great Satan in connection with the deal once again proved to everyone that the signature of the American president is now completely worthless and invalid, and that intimidation, hegemony, and savagery are inseparable components of America’s beliefs and doctrine,’ read the statement from Mojtaba Khamenei. In the same statement, he also threatened that the United States would face retaliation from Iran and its allies. ‘Now that the American enemy is trying to provoke a war and suffer heavier costs and further humiliation, they must know that the beloved Iranian nation and the Resistance Front have an unforgettable lesson for them,’ the statement continued. Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement came after Donald Trump claimed that the Iranian leader had most likely died. In an interview with US media outlet Fox News, Trump said most of Iran’s leadership had been killed as a result of attacks carried out by the United States and Israel. ‘They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. Everything is gone. Their anti-aircraft defences are destroyed. Their leaders are all dead,’ Trump said.