Iran's leader Khamenei warns US of ‘unforgettable lessons’ as strikes intensify

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a written statement on 18 July warning that the United States will receive “unforgettable lessons” if its attacks continue. He declared the June 17 memorandum of understanding between the two presidents “worthless” after Washington repeatedly breached it, and called former President Donald Trump’s signature “without value or credibility.”

The U.S. Central Command confirmed a seventh consecutive night of strikes targeting Iranian surveillance sites, military logistics, underground weapons depots and maritime capabilities. In response, Iran launched attacks on U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, hitting an oil facility and a water‑desalination plant in Kuwait, causing injuries, a fire and temporary loss of power generation. Two U.S. service members were killed and a third remains missing after defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan.

Khamenei warned that Iran and the “Axis of Resistance” will deliver “unforgettable lessons” and suggested further escalation if the United States does not halt its operations, signalling a deepening of the regional conflict.