Trump Slams Iran's Supreme Leader

President Donald Trump on Friday said he immediately stopped pursuing sanctions relief for Iran following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's statement of "anger, hatred, and disgust."

A day earlier, Khamenei said his country had delivered a "slap to America's face" by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks in his first public comments since a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Israeli airstrikes on July 13 began a 12-day war that culminated with U.S. military strikes "obliterating" three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Khamenei's prerecorded speech that aired Thursday on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19, was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the U.S. and Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime adversaries.

"Why would the so-called 'Supreme Leader,' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so," Trump posted Friday afternoon on Truth Social. "As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie."

Trump wrote that not only was Iran "decimated" by the Israeli and U.S. attacks, he prevented Israel from killing Khamenei.

"I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life," Trump wrote. "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH …"

Trump added that he had been working on the removal of sanctions against Iran but stopped after hearing Khamenei's message.

"[I]nstead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump wrote. "Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them. They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them — A burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them."

"They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!"

Trump's full post reads as follows: "Why would the so-called "Supreme Leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie. His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, "THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!" In fact, in the final act of the War, I demanded that Israel bring back a very large group of planes, which were heading directly to Tehran, looking for a big day, perhaps the final knockout! Tremendous damage would have ensued, and many Iranians would have been killed. It was going to be the biggest attack of the War, by far. During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery — The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more. Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them. They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them — A burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!"

The Associated Press contributed this story.