LET BATTLE COMMENCE: ‘Suicidal’ Ayatollah tells President Trump ‘The battle Begins’ in shock goading message from bunker lair with US on brink of blitz

🚨BREAKING🚨A mushroom-shaped explosion has been reported in Eastern Tehran, near nuclear and missile facilities in Parchin and Khojir. The fearsome GBU-57 bombs are capable of blitzing Fordow.

Jun 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

THE "suicidal" Ayatollah has warned President Donald Trump "the battle begins" in a shocking goading message from his bunker lair as the US readies to join Israel in blitzing nuclear sites.

President Trump has already been warned he will face hell if he enters into the war and drops a single bomb on Tehran, with the raging conflict in the Middle East continuing on for a sixth day.

A man in traditional Iranian clothing waves.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to have bolted to a fortified underground hiding place in a suburb of capital Tehran. Credit: Reuters

Smoke rising over a city at night during the Israel-Iran air war.

Smoke rises as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Reuters

Ballistic missiles over Tel Aviv at night.

Iran's ballistic missiles seen heading towards Tel Aviv. Credit: Getty

President Donald Trump speaking to reporters on Air Force One.

President Donald Trump has sent a direct warning to Iran's Ayatollah saying he is an 'easy target' with the US and Israel knowing exactly where he is hiding. Credit: AP

Illustration of a map showing US military deployment to the Middle East, including aircraft and a carrier, alongside the location of Iranian nuclear sites.

Ali Khamenei, 86, and his family are believed to have bolted to a fortified underground hiding place in a suburb of the capital, Tehran.

He went to ground after swathes of military top brass and nuclear scientists were wiped out in simultaneous surgical strikes at the start of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on Friday.

Experts have dubbed the Ayatollah's refusal to concede Iran's uranium as "regime suicide" as President Trump held a crisis meeting in the White House Situation Room yesterday, discussing whether to enter the US into the war.

After the 80-minute gathering, US officials indicated that the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial in determining whether diplomacy could be achieved with Iran, ABC News reports.

As President Donald Trump huddled with his top advisers in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, U.S. officials signaled that the next 24 to 48 hours would be critical in determining whether a diplomatic solution with Iran is possible -- or if the president might resort to military action instead.

This would likely include an "unconditional surrender," as well as an ironclad agreement to dismantle Iran's whole nuclear programme.

But if such commitments from Iran aren't agreed, President Trump may resort to military action against the Middle Eastern country instead.

Khamenei said on his English-language X account:

“We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime.

“We will show the Zionists no mercy.”

He issued a further tweet in Hebrew aimed at Israelis as well as a Shia-themed post in Persian stating “the battle begins”.

His message was posted with an image of a warrior holding a sword, entering a castle-like gate, with fiery streaks in the sky overhead.

It referred to a return to Khaybar - a town whose Jewish inhabitants were slaughtered by Muslim forces in the 7th century.

Iran fired several missile barrages into Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday.

They are reportedly preparing to launch missiles and other military equipment on US bases in the Middle East should President Trump join Israel’s war, say American officials who have reviewed intelligence reports.

In response, Israel fired back with their own tactical strikes and left much of Tehran up in smoke.

Iran initially had roughly 2,000 missiles capable of hitting Israel, but a significant number were destroyed after Israel launched its surprise attack early Friday, Israeli intelligence officials said.

In the past six days of the spiraling conflict, Iran has retaliated against Israeli airstrikes by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel.

Terrified Tehran citizens have been fleeing in the thousands since Friday, with President Trump later urging everyone to immediately evacuate the city.

President Trump has already ramped up his threats towards the Iranian regime as he claimed on Wednesday that the US and Israel know exactly where Iran's Supreme Leader is hiding.

The US president called him an "easy target" but said he won't order any assassination plot "for now".

Israel threatened Khamenei hours earlier saying he will face the same grisly fate as Iraq's Saddam Hussein who was hanged by his own people if he doesn't start to negotiate soon.

The threat of regime change came after President Trump demanded a "real end" to Iran's nuclear programme, which is the root of the ongoing conflict.

And the US president cranked up pressure on the evil mullah’s crumbling reign by firing a warning as he moved the might of America’s war machine towards the war zone.

The US leader called for an "unconditional surrender" in a trio of Truth Social posts as he told Tehran they have lost complete control of the skies after five days of Israeli airstrikes.

He has also refused to specify the endgame, but has ominously warned:

"You're going to find out over the next two days."

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