Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly labeled the United States the "Great Satan" in posts on X and Telegram, accusing Washington of dishonesty and broken promises. He alleged breaches of a memorandum of understanding and called the U.S. president's signature "utterly worthless." The epithet dates back to Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 U.S. embassy hostage crisis. Tensions have coincided with exchanged strikes and mutual maritime restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Labels U.S. 'The Great Satan,' Escalating Gulf Tensions
Iranian women hold an image of supreme leader Ayatolla Mojtaba Khamenei as Iranian officials, military commanders, families of war victims and their supporters gathered at Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran on Sunday. On Saturday, Khamenei called the United States "The Great Satan." Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly called the United States the "Great Satan" on July 18 in a series of posts on X and on his Telegram channel, heightening a war of words amid growing hostilities in the Persian Gulf.
In a post on X from his official account, Khamenei wrote:
"Today, the Great Satan has once again revealed its true, unmasked face, so that this dark episode of criminality and broken promises serves as yet another indisputable testament to the U.S.'s dishonesty, irrationality, unreliability, and malicious nature."
In a separate message he added:
"Coercion, totalitarianism, and brutality are inseparable components of the U.S. creed and doctrine."
On his Telegram channel, Khamenei reiterated the charge and alleged repeated violations by the United States of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that, he said, had been signed by the presidents of Iran and the United States. He wrote:
"The signature of the U.S. President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility. It further reaffirms that coercion, totalitarianism, and brutality are inseparable components of the U.S. creed and doctrine."
The epithet "The Great Satan" was popularized by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, shortly after 66 American diplomats and civilians were seized at the U.S. embassy in Tehran; most of those hostages were held for 444 days.
In recent days, Iranian and U.S. forces have traded strikes and taken measures affecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities have reported preventing some vessels from transiting the strait, while U.S. forces say they are restricting Iranian ship movements and access to certain ports. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments.
As of publication, former President Donald Trump had not posted a response on his social media channels.
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