WASHINGTON — The White House accused Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of trying to "save face" Thursday after the Iranian supreme leader downplayed the impact of US strikes on Tehran's nuclear program.

 

"We saw the Ayatollah's video, and when you have a totalitarian regime, you have to save face," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing, after Khamenei made his first appearance since the strikes.

 

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that the United States had "gained nothing" from its attacks during the Islamic republic's 12-day war with Israel that saw nuclear sites hit.

 

In a statement published by state media, Khamenei said the United States "engaged in the war directly, convinced that its refusal to intervene would lead to the complete destruction of the Zionist regime".

 

"It has gained nothing from this war," Khamenei said of Washington, adding in his first public remarks since a Tuesday ceasefire ended the war that "the Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America".

 

Khamenei said Iran would "never surrender" to the United States.

 

"The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor of the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran," said Khamenei in a televised speech.

 

"Such an event [surrender] will never happen. It will never happen."

 

Khamenei threatened to carry out more strikes on US bases in the region if Iran came under another attack by the United States.

 

"The Islamic republic has access to important US bases in the region and can act against them whenever it deems it necessary," said Khamenei in a video message aired by state TV.

 

"It can happen again in the future; if an attack occurs, the cost to the enemy and the aggressor will certainly be high."