Trump called the Iranian leader's statements "false and ridiculous," noting that Khamenei, as a cleric, "is not supposed to lie," as he put it.
Trump said that Iran had been "devastated," and that three of its "evil" nuclear sites had been completely destroyed.
He added that he had precise knowledge of Khamenei's whereabouts, but refused to allow Israel or the US military, which he described as "the greatest and most powerful in the world," to kill him, saying, "I saved his life from a horrible and humiliating death."
Trump emphasized that he did not ask Khamenei to thank him, but expressed his dismay at the Iranian leadership's response, describing its statements as filled with "anger, hatred, and disgust." He noted that he had been working during the final days of the war to lift some sanctions and provide facilities to help Iran achieve a "full and rapid recovery," but halted these efforts immediately after Khamenei's statement.
Trump also revealed that he had asked Israel to turn back a large group of aircraft that were on their way to Tehran to carry out what he described as "the largest attack of the war," which would have caused "tremendous damage" and a large number of Iranian casualties.
Concluding his remarks, Trump said that Iran must return to the "world order" to prevent its situation from worsening, noting that the country has become "ruined, with a collapsed economy, a shattered military, and death everywhere."
He added, "They have no hope, and things will only get worse unless the approach changes. I wish the Iranian leadership would realize that you get better results with honey, not vinegar. Peace!"
