'Goes far beyond missiles, drones': Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei threatens US, Israel in Eid message

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday described the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel as a fight that goes beyond conventional war, using his Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz message to present it as a wider ideological struggle.

In a series of posts, Khamenei said the war “goes far beyond missiles, drones, torpedoes, and battlefield”, while also paying tribute to those killed. “I express my condolences and sympathy to all the families and survivors of the honorable martyrs,” he said.

 

 

The message came as Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz — the Persian New Year — fell around the same time this year. Marking the occasion, he wrote, “This year, the spring of spirituality and the spring of nature – i.e., the auspicious Eid al-Fitr and the age-old Eid of Nowruz – have coincided, and I congratulate each and every one of the people of the nation on these two religious and national holidays.”

 

 

Using religious language, he added: “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. O Transformer of hearts and sights, O Director of nights and days, O Transformer of situations and circumstances, Transform our circumstances to the best of circumstances!”

 

 

Khamenei, who took over as Supreme Leader after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, also praised what he called Iran’s “relentless resistance” against “global arrogance”.

 

Looking back at the past year, he said Iran had faced “three military and security wars”. Referring to last year’s conflict, he said, “In the past year, our people have experienced three military and security wars. The first war was the June war, when the Zionist enemy, with the special help of the United States and in the midst of negotiations, martyred about 1,000 of our fellow citizens.” He added that “the enemy… saved itself through mediation and cessation of fighting”.

 

 

Khamenei also described the January protests inside Iran as “the second war” and called them “the January Coup”. He said that “the US and the Zionist regime, thinking that the Iranian people were implementing the enemy’s vision due to the economic problems, used their mercenaries to create countless disasters”.

His remarks come as both sides continue to differ on how the current conflict began. The US has said its actions were “pre-emptive”, with President Donald Trump stating that Iran “would have attacked us, if we did not act”.

Responding to that claim, Iran’s foreign minister said on X on Friday, “We are men and women of principles. Iranians do not sneak attack adversaries while engaged in dialogue. Only when attacked do we powerfully respond. We have intelligence on Israeli plans to strike infrastructure. Once again: ZERO restraint if our infrastructure is attacked.”

How the current war began and latest situation

The current phase of the conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites. The strikes killed several senior figures, including top commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and nuclear scientists, according to reports by international agencies including AP, Reuters and AFP.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US bases, Israeli-linked infrastructure and shipping routes across West Asia. Cities such as Riyadh and areas near US military installations have faced repeated attacks, though many incoming missiles have been intercepted.

The conflict has since expanded beyond direct military targets. Attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf and the Red Sea have disrupted global trade routes, while parts of the Strait of Hormuz — a key energy corridor — have seen disruptions. Oil prices have surged sharply amid fears of supply shocks.