TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader, Alireza Arafa, has warned the United States and Israel of strong retaliation following military strikes on Iranian territory. On Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, Arafa released a statement on multiple social media platforms declaring that diplomacy with Washington had ended and that the United States had crossed a “red line.”
“The time for negotiations is over. The United States has chosen to cross the red line, the line of irreparable harm,” Arafa said. “By launching this war, they have signed their own death warrant: they don’t know when or how the axe will fall, but we hold the reins.”
The statement follows coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel that reportedly hit Iranian military installations and strategic infrastructure. These actions come amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s missile program, regional influence, and alleged nuclear activities. U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Iran of supporting armed proxy groups in the Middle East, a charge that Tehran denies.
Arafa dismissed Western claims that the strikes were preemptive measures. “They brandish the nuclear specter like a scarecrow, blinded by their arrogance,” he said. “They have no idea of the true extent of our power or what we are prepared to unleash.”
Israel was specifically targeted in Arafa’s warning. “As for Israel, its fate is sealed. Every strike, every crime, every act of suffering they have inflicted will come back to haunt them,” he said. “They will remain in our sights, exposed, vulnerable, hunted.”
The escalation has raised concerns about a broader conflict that could involve armed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen aligned with Iran. Analysts warn that prolonged hostilities could disrupt global energy supplies and heighten sectarian tensions across the region.
Arafa ended his statement with a message of defiance, saying, “We walk in the shadow of the Leader, and every step is a lightning bolt. Iran does not bend. Iran wins. Always.”