Iranian state media has shared a chilling image featuring President Donald Trump to its social media pages, which many are believing to be an ominous threat the United States.
On Monday (June 24) Iran launched a missile strike on a U.S. military installation in Qatar, in what officials described as a response to recent American airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The strike targeted Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts U.S. and coalition forces and serves as the headquarters of the Combined Air Operations Center.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its air defense systems intercepted the incoming missiles, calling the incident "a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, and international law," BBC News reports.
According to Iranian state media, the number of missiles fired was equivalent to the number of bombs the U.S. used in its weekend strikes on nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The Iranian government stated that the attack was a proportional response to what it described as an act of aggression, per The Independent. No casualties have been reported.
U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed the full extent of damage, but CNN reported that Iran issued a warning ahead of the strike, which may have mitigated the impact.
President Donald Trump responded to the development on Truth Social, stating: “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE.” He added: “Congratulations world, it's time for peace.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also addressed the situation on X, writing: “We neither initiated the war nor [are] seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-licensed Iran News Agency published a digitally altered image of Trump’s head engulfed in flames, positioned at the tip of a burning matchstick over a U.S. flag.
The image, shared to Telegram, included a caption in English reading: “The reckoning. It won't be long before you pay for what you've done.”
U.S. officials have not formally responded to the image (as of this writing).
The escalation follows U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. In a televised address, Trump stated: “Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.”
In response, Iranian state television aired footage of its retaliatory missile launch, accompanied by martial music, hailing it as “a mighty and successful response” to the U.S. assault.
Simultaneously, Iran ramped up its confrontation with Israel. Mere hours after the 79-year-old U.S. President declared a ceasefire on Tuesday morning, Iranian forces launched missiles toward northern Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles, warning civilians: “The public is requested to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command. At this time, the Air Force is operating to intercept and strike wherever necessary to eliminate the threat,” per Fox News.
Though Iran claimed to have ended its retaliation at 4:00AM, missile sirens blared again around 6:00AM. One missile ended up hitting a residential building in southern Israel, killing four civilians and injuring at least a dozen more.
Per BBC News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared: “Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.” He emphasized that the Rising Lion campaign had “removed the dual immediate existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Now in its twelfth day, the conflict has inflicted heavy losses on both sides. According to Human Rights Activists cited by the Associated Press, Israeli strikes have killed at least 950 people and injured 3,450 more in Iran, a toll comprising both military and civilian casualties.