Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei issues stern warning to Trump amid US-Iran nuclear talks

US and Iranian representatives met for round 2 of the discussion to determine the fate of Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, has issued an ominous warning to US President Donald Trump. Khamenei has said that, should the US send an aircraft carrier to the region, Iran has the capabilities to sink any such vessels. Khamenei also challenged the overall capabilities of the US armed forces, stating that even the most powerful militaries of the world can suffer defeat in ways from which that military can never recover. Khamenei’s threat follows the announcement by US President Trump on Friday that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, would be moving from the Caribbean and into the Middle East region. In addition, Trump has continued to state that having a new government in Iran would be the greatest outcome possible.

What Prompted Khamenei’s Bold Warning to Trump Over U.S. Aircraft Carrier?

In a speech on Tuesday, Khamenei stated, “We constantly hear that they [the US] have sent a warship towards Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” as reported by South China Morning Post.

Is Khamenei’s Threat of Sinking U.S. Warships a Sign of Escalating Tensions?

“They keep saying that we have sent an aircraft carrier towards Iran. Well, an aircraft carrier is certainly a dangerous tool, but even more dangerous than an aircraft carrier is the weapon that can send this warship into the depths of the sea. The US president keeps saying that he has the strongest military force in the world. The world’s strongest military force can sometimes be attacked so hard that it cannot recover”, Iranian leader Khamenei added.

On Tuesday, US and Iranian representatives met for round 2 of the discussion to determine the fate of Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva. The meeting was attended by President Trump’s envoy, Stephen Witkoff, and Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner, who both flew to Geneva to meet Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi.

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Is Trump’s Claim of the World’s Strongest Military Under Fire from Tehran?

At the conclusion of approximately three hours of talks, Minister Araghchi stated that both parties had agreed to a “set of guiding principles,” which would lead to the development of a final agreement.

The US President has said that for 47 years, the United States hasn’t been able to eliminate the Islamic Republic. That is a good confession. I say, ” You, too, will not be able to do this.”
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) February 17, 2026

Khamenei, in three posts on social media, pointed to US President Donald Trump’s statements about the pressure exerted on Iran and the potential for physical military action against Iran. “The US President has said that for 47 years, the United States hasn’t been able to eliminate the Islamic Republic. That is a good confession. I say, ” You, too, will not be able to do this,” reads his tweet.

He added, “A sign of the decline of the corrupt, oppressive US empire is its irrationality, such as interfering in our country’s internal affairs. They say, “Limit your missiles to this range.” What’s that to do with you?! Without deterrent weaponry, a country will be crushed by the enemy.” The post further reads, “The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”