Khamenei reiterates previous warning of US entering conflict 'to its own detriment'


The United States is entering Israeli attacks on Iran "to its own detriment," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei repeated an earlier warning to the United States early Sunday after the US bombed key Iranian nuclear sites. At least parts of the cites, especially at the key site of Fordow, were struck, but detailed information on specific damage to the sites was to be confirmed.
Khamenei's Telegram account has re-shared his televised comments on Wednesday, in which he said that the US would be entering the Iran-Israel conflict "to its own detriment,""The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm Iran will encounter," Khamenei says in the video.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran condemned the US strikes in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks the US president after the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, according to the Jerusalem Post. Six bunker-buster bombs were used during the strike on Fordow, with 30 tomahawk missiles being used on the additional nuclear sites, according to Fox News.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces' Home Front Command has raised the threat level nationwide, ordering only essential activity to take place.
An Iranian official in Qom confirmed part of the Fordow nuclear site has come under attack.
Morteza Heydari, a spokesman for Qom Provincial Crisis Management Headquarters, was quoted by Iran's Tasnim news agency as saying: "Hours ago, after Qom's air defenses were activated and hostile targets were identified, part of the Fordow nuclear site was attacked by enemy airstrikes."
The IRNA news agency quotes an official with the country's public broadcaster as saying: "There are no materials in these three nuclear sites that cause radiation."
The comment suggests that Iranian authorities may have removed enriched uranium from the facilities before they were bombed, the report said.
The three nuclear facilities have been evacuated, Iranian national television confirmed.
Iran had been expecting attacks on Fordow for several nights, the facility had been evacuated before the airstrikes occurred, and did not suffer irreversible damage, according to an advisor to Iran's Parliament Speaker.
"Two things are certain: 1. Knowledge cannot be bombed. 2. This time, the gambler will definitely lose," the advisor was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying.
On Saturday in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi cautioned the US against the dangerous consequences of getting involved in the Israeli regime's war of aggression.
Araqchi told reporters that it would be "very, very dangerous for everyone" if the United States becomes actively involved in the war along with Israel. He attended diplomatic talks with Europeans in Geneva earlier.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan, citing an anonymous Israeli official, said that Israel was "in full coordination with the US" during its attacks on Iran. B-2 stealth bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying and deploying the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, commonly nicknamed The Mother of All Bombs.