Trump says he saved Iran’s Supreme Leader from "ugly death"

US President Donald Trump claimed Friday that he prevented a major 'Israeli' military strike on Iran that would have resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, describing it as a “ugly and ignominious” end.

Posting on his platform Truth Social, Trump said, “I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'”

Trump's remarks came in response to recent comments by Khamenei, in which the Iranian leader declared victory over 'Israel' in the ongoing conflict. Trump rejected the claim, calling it “false,” and said, “As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie.”

Read more: Khamenei says Trump “exaggerated” impact of US strikes on nuclear sites

Read more: "Hell of a week": Trump speaks to press about ‘Iran vs Israel’ conflict

Revealing new details, Trump said he had ordered a large fleet of warplanes en route to Tehran to turn back in the final phase of the war. 

In the same post, Trump added that in recent days he had been considering easing some sanctions on Iran and offering economic incentives to revive the country's struggling economy. However, he said he abruptly ended those plans after what he described as a “statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.”

“Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them,” Trump warned.

In earlier comments on Friday, Trump reaffirmed his readiness to launch new strikes against Iran “without hesitation” if intelligence showed that Tehran continued enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. “No question, I absolutely would,” he said.

Trump also described the recently declared ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran as “the right moment to end the war.” He revealed that Iran had expressed interest in holding talks, though he did not provide further details.

He also emphasized the importance of allowing full international inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites, calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency or “any respected authority” to be granted unrestricted access.

Read more: Supreme Court allows Trump to limit birthright citizenship in some states