Iran supreme leader accuses Trump of violating deal, vows forceful response

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday issued a belligerent statement accusing President Trump of violating the U.S.-Iran agreement and pledging a strong response by Iran and its proxies if the fighting continues to escalate. Why it matters: Khamenei's statement came as renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran reached an eighth consecutive day. Both sides are heightening their attacks and expanding the scope of their targets. In his statement, Khamenei called the U.S. "the great Satan" — a term he hasn't used since assuming office. This rhetoric signals a return to classic Iranian revolutionary language following the breakdown of the agreement with the Trump administration. What he is saying: "The Great Satan's repeated violations of the memorandum of understanding signed between the presidents of Iran and the United States once again proved to everyone how worthless and unreliable the signature of the U.S. president is," Khamenei wrote on his Telegram channel. He added that "bullying, hegemonic ambitions, and savagery are inseparable elements of the American way and doctrine.""The Great Satan has once again revealed its true face without a mask, so that this dark experience of crime and bad faith will stand as yet another powerful testament to America's deceitfulness, irrationality, untrustworthiness, and wickedness," he added. Khamenei stressed that the U.S. is "seeking to ignite war" and pledged it will suffer "even heavier costs and greater disgrace." He added that Iran and "the Axis of resistance have unforgettable lessons in store for it."