‘Criminal, great Satan,’ Mojtaba Khamenei slams US for fresh strikes targeting under-construction nuclear plant | World

Day after the United States (US) admitted two of its soldiers were killed in an Iranian strike in Jordan, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called Washington a ‘criminal’ and a ‘great Satan’, while thanking everyone who attended his father and predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in the country and in neighbouring Iraq.

Mojtaba, who has not made a public appearance since the conflict in the Middle East began this year, said large crowds had gather his father’s funeral procession in Iran and Iraq, which “opened a new chapter of awakening” and is alerting the equations that had been “designed by the arrogant powers”.

“The Great Satan — the criminal US — has now realised that the continuation of its trouble-free, domineering presence in the region is nothing but a naive fantacy,” 56-year-old Mojtaba said in a written communication to people of neighbouring Iraq.

“Undoubtedly, the leaders of Global Arrogance witnessed the magnificent scenes of this massive gathering in Iraq with trepidation, seeing how the vast resources they’ve invested to undermine relations between the two nations have proved entirely futile and ineffective,” he said.

Two US soldiers killed in Jordan

Mojtaba’s statements come a day after the US acknowledged that two of its soldiers were killed and several others were left wounded in Iranian strikes in Jordan. In response, the US launched new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran also claimed that the US targeted an under-construction nuclear power plant during the fresh strikes.

The US and Iran had signed a peace deal last month, but both nations have said the treaty has fallen apart, with both sides trading strikes against each other. This has only destabilised the situation in the Middle East once again.

The US said it successfully struck Iran’s air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites to degrade the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities and ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“American military assets also targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces that launched attacks against U.S. service members in Jordan on July 17. More than 50,000 U.S. men and women in uniform are operating across the Middle East. They remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

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