Iran-Israel war: Khamenei shares cryptic post in first reaction after US attacks — scary skull, missiles raining down

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shared a cryptic post on Monday in his first reaction after the United States attacked an Iranian nuclear site.

Khamenei took to X to share an image showing a scary skull and missiles raining down on a city. Launching a scathing attack on the "Zionist enemy", Israel, he said, “The punishment continues.”

"The punishment continues. The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a big crime; it must be punished and it is being punished; it is being punished right now," Khamenei wrote on X.

Khamenei's reaction came as Tehran threatened to retaliate for US strikes on its nuclear program by hitting US bases across the region.

The US military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, joining Israel's effort to destroy Iran's nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe.

Tehran, which denies its nuclear programme is for anything other than peaceful purposes, sent a volley of missiles at Israel in the aftermath of the US attack, wounding scores of people and destroying buildings in Tel Aviv.

Iran continued to attack Israel — though its latest attack early Monday included just one ballistic missile, which was intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces, the Times of Israel reported.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump raised the idea of regime change in Iran.

"It’s not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" he wrote on TRUTH social media platform.

Trump's post came after officials in his administration, including US Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, stressed they were not working to overthrow Iran's government.

Israeli officials, who began the hostilities with a surprise attack on Iran on June 13, have increasingly spoken of their ambition to topple the hardline Shi'ite Muslim clerical establishment.