Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei's first remarks after a
12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing
raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.
Khamanei
said Iran "slapped America in the face" by launching an
attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids.
Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender.
Trump said he had spared Khamanei's life. US officials told
Reuters on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the
supreme leader.
"His
Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I
knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the US Armed
Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,"
Trump said in a social media post.
"I
SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," he said.
Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the US
ending its "disrespectful tone" toward the Supreme Leader.
"If
President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the
disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand
Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,"
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of
Saturday.
Trump also said that in recent days he had been working on
the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy
recovery. He said he had now abandoned that effort.
"I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and
disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,"
he said.
Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not
rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing
of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point.
"Sure, without question, absolutely," he said.
Trump said he would like inspectors from the International
Atomic Energy Agency - the UN nuclear watchdog - or another respected
source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites after they were bombed last
weekend.
Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites
was not as profound as he has said.
The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that
ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had
taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However,
Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections.
Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of
the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
