‘Bottom of the sea’: Khamenei warns Trump of weapons capable of sinking US carriers

Tehran: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Tuesday that the United States military could face a "crushing blow" from which it may never recover, a direct response to recent assertions of American military superiority by President Donald Trump.

Addressing a gathering of residents from East Azerbaijan in Tehran, the 86-year-old leader dismissed Washington’s naval buildup in the Persian Gulf as a failed tactic of intimidation, asserting that Iran possesses the specific technology required to neutralise high-value American assets.

The "Decisive Slap" and Naval Threats

Khamenei’s remarks targeted the central tenet of the Trump administration’s regional posture, which has focused on the deterrent power of the U.S. armed forces.

The Supreme Leader noted that the U.S. President repeats that his military is the strongest in the world, yet even the strongest military force may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again. Referring to the deployment of U.S. aircraft carrier groups to the region, the Leader added that while a warship is a dangerous tool, the weapon that can send it to the bottom of the sea is more dangerous.

Diplomacy Under Pressure

The escalatory language comes at a delicate diplomatic juncture as the two nations navigate a volatile mix of deterrence and negotiation. The comments were delivered just as the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations began in Geneva, mediated by Oman.

Khamenei mocked Trump's recent admission that Washington has been unable to eliminate the Islamic Republic for 47 years, characterising it as a "good admission" and vowing that the current administration would also fail to depose the clerical establishment.

Internal Stability and Protests

Khamenei also used the speech to frame the deadly January 2026 protests as a foreign-led "sedition" while strategically declaring most of those killed, including bystanders and "misled" participants, as martyrs to co-opt the movement.

The Leader divided the dead into categories, excluding only the ringleaders he claimed were paid by foreign enemies, while urging for national unity and increased deterrent preparedness. Iranian officials have characterised any potential U.S. strike as the beginning of a "regional war" rather than a limited engagement, warning that the consequences would be unbearable for the American political and economic system.