Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei said the US suffered severe losses during the 12-day war with Iran last June, despite deploying its most advanced military equipment.
“In the 12-day war, the Iranian nation undoubtedly defeated both the United States and the Zionist regime. They came and committed mischief, but were beaten and returned empty-handed, failing to achieve any of their objectives — this was a real defeat for them,” Imam Khamenei said in a televised speech on Thursday night on the occasion of Basij Week.
The Leader said that according to some accounts, the Zionist regime had planned and prepared for the war for 20 years.
“They had planned a war in which they hoped to provoke the people and force them to fight against the system. But the situation was reversed, and they failed so completely that even those who had disagreements with the system stood alongside it, creating a general unity in the country,” he added.
⚡️ KHAMENEI: “The Zionists came and did what they wanted to do, and finally returned empty-handed with their tail between their legs. They faced defeat and achieved nothing.”
“The most hated human in the planet is now the head of the Zionist regime.”
“America is being hated… pic.twitter.com/pK9JAHo5i0
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) November 27, 2025
Imam Khamenei referred to the heavy losses suffered by the US in the 12-day war despite deploying its most advanced military equipment, including submarines, fighter jets, and state-of-the-art defense systems.
“The United States was severely damaged in this war, since despite using the latest offensive and defensive weapons, it could not achieve its goal of deceiving the nation and winning their support. Instead, the unity of the people increased, and the United States was also thwarted,” he said.
“Of course, we also suffered losses, and, as is the nature of war, precious lives were lost. But the Islamic Republic demonstrated that it is a center of will and power, able to stand strong and make decisions without fear of the noise around it. Moreover, the material damage inflicted on the invading enemy was far greater than the material losses we suffered,” his eminence added.
Basij is a Persian word that means to be prepared and mobilized; it is the name of a paramilitary force in Iran that was formed in 1979 upon a decree by late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Rouhullah Moussavi Khomeini as a popular and voluntary force that is tasked with serving the Islamic Republic’s ideals.
Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon
Meanwhile in his speech, Imam Khamenei touched on the severe disgrace and infamy of the Zionist regime in the Gaza tragedy as one of the most important disasters in the region’s history.
“The United States stood alongside the usurping regime and became severely disgraced and discredited, because the people of the world know that the Zionist regime is not capable of causing so much devastation without America.”
He called the current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the most hated person in the world today and the Zionist regime the most hated organization and ruling clique, adding: “Because the United States stands alongside them, the hatred of the Zionists has also spread to the United States.”
Today the most despised person in the world is the head of the Zionist regime.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) November 27, 2025
The Leader also pointed to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, incursions into Syria, crimes in the West Bank, and the dire situation in Gaza as other examples of overt US support for the war and crimes of the “vile regime” of Israel.
Source: Iranian media
