Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei labels Israel as US's ‘dog on a leash’

Khamenei said fighting the US and its 'dog on a leash' Israel is praiseworthy, adding that Iran is capable to give bigger blow to its adversaries.

Updated on: Jul 16, 2025, 16:31:13 IST

By HT News Desk

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said on Wednesday that the US is an accomplice to Israeli crimes and called Israel a “cancerous tumour” and United States' “dog on a leash”.

Motorists drive their vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei displayed in the centre of Tehran's Valiasr Square on July 13 (AFP)

The remarks come days after Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire following a nearly two-weeks long conflict during which the two countries exchanged drones and missiles.

Khamenei said fighting the US and its 'dog on a leash' Israel is praiseworthy, Reuters reported, adding that the Supreme Leader asserted that Iran is capable to give bigger blow to its adversaries than seen in the Iran-Israel war.

Khamenei said that Iran is ready to respond to any renewed military attack.

Iran and Israel ended a massive drone and missile conflict recently, which started with an Israeli attack on June 13 to stop the Iranian nuclear programme from progressing.

Over the course of more than 12 days, the Israeli campaign against Iran killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of civilians, with the total death toll currently at 1,060, according to Iranian officials.

Retaliatory Iranian drone and missile barrages killed at least 28 people in Israel during the war, according to official figures.

Iran said Monday it had "no specific date" for a meeting with the United States on Tehran's nuclear programme, following the war with Israel that had derailed negotiations.

The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13, starting what Donald Trump termed as the “12-day war” which the United States later joined by striking several nuclear facilities in Iran.

The US launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. Donald Trump said the US strikes, which were carried out using B2 Bomber planes that dropped bunker-buster bombs, “totally obliterated” the nuclear facilities targeted.

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