Ayatollah Khamenei’s official channel issued one of its most direct threats yet: “The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a great crime; it must be punished and it is being punished! It is being punished right now.” The post was paired with an image of missiles striking a skull marked with a Star of David, a clear symbol of ongoing retaliation. Notably, the statement made no mention of the United States. The focus, at least for now, is squarely on Israel.
#همین_حالا
مجازات ادامه دارددشمن صهیونی یک اشتباه بزرگی کرده، یک جنایت بزرگی را مرتکب شده؛ باید مجازات بشود و دارد مجازات میشود؛ همین حالا دارد مجازات میشود.#الله_اکبر pic.twitter.com/wH6Wk9nNhJ
— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی 🇮🇷 (@Khamenei_fa) June 23, 2025
The timing adds another layer. Just hours earlier, President Trump posted on Truth Social: “If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” He ended the message with “MIGA!!!”, a rebranding of his campaign slogan aimed squarely at Iran’s government. While past administrations have avoided that language, Trump is now putting it on the table.
The two statements don’t reference each other, but the timing is hard to ignore. Khamenei had reaffirmed Iran’s posture toward Israel without any mention of the biggest news in the world today. Trump, in contrast, escalated his position by openly calling for regime change in Iran. One message repeats a threat. The other introduces a new one.