'We've defeated Israel'

IRAN'S Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed victory over Israel and said his country had "delivered a hand slap to America's face" and warned against any further US attacks yesterday, in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the two countries.

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Mr Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19, looking and sounding more tired than he did only a week ago.

He told viewers that the US had only intervened in the war because "it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.

But he said that the US "achieved no gains from this war".