On his Truth Social account, former U. S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face an even stronger response if Tehran attempted to retaliate against the ongoing attacks. He said that Iran had announced plans to strike with unprecedented force, but warned that any such move would be met with a retaliatory strike of a scale never seen before.

This statement came just days after the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran, aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear weapons development. Trump had previously declared that Washington intended to destroy Iran’s navy and defense industry, while also urging the Iranian people to overthrow their current regime.

In another significant development, Iranian state television reported on March 1 that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed. According to Fars news agency, the attacks also claimed the lives of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and daughter-in-law. Trump commented that with Khamenei’s death, achieving a diplomatic resolution might now be easier.

Following Khamenei’s death, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the start of the most intense offensive in the history of Iran’s military forces, signaling an escalation of the conflict.