Iran and Israel have been devastated by days of clashes, attacks and counterattacks. More than 450 people have been killed in Iran since the Israeli attack began last Thursday night.

The conflict is feared to be getting worse, and US President Donald Trump himself has given a message about Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After that, Khamenei has spoken out.

Iran's supreme leader said the war had begun, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday (June 18) in a social media post.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has responded for the first time since US President Donald Trump threatened to kill him, the media outlet reported. He wrote in a message on social media X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday: "In the name of the honorable Haider, the war has begun."

'Haider' is another name for Imam Ali (RA), the fourth Caliph of Islam and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Shia Muslims, including in Iran, consider him their first Imam.

Despite Trump's threats, Iran's supreme leader reiterated that Iran would retaliate harshly for the Israeli attack. "We must respond harshly against the terrorist Zionist regime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in English on X. We will show no mercy to the Zionists," he said.

Khamenei's message comes at a time when Trump has repeatedly made comments about Iran's supreme leader. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said in a social media post, referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding."

The US Republican president said, "He's an easy target, but he's safe there - we're not going to take him out (kill him!), at least not right now."

President Trump added, "But we don't want missiles fired at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is running out."

In another post shortly before this, he said, “Iranian airspace is under our control.” In a third post shortly after these two posts, President Trump wrote, “Unconditional surrender!”