Iran's supreme leader claims 'victory' in his first comments after U.S. strikes

Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first comments in more than a week.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke his weeklong silence Thursday, claiming in a televised speech that his country had secured a victory over Israel and delivered a "slap in the face" to Washington.

Hours earlier, Iran's government also approved legislation to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a move that will stymie efforts to assess the damage from U.S. airstrikes and monitor uranium enrichment.

“The Islamic Republic emerged victorious and, in return, delivered a harsh slap to America’s face,” Khamenei said after eight days of silence.

The United States had “entered a direct war” because it felt like Israel would be “completely destroyed” if it didn’t, he said, adding that “it gained nothing from this war.” Israel "had to understand that attacking Iran would come at a heavy cost and thanks to God, that’s exactly what happened,” he said.

Israel's strikes have killed a slew of top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. There is still debate, within the U.S. and internationally, about the extent of the damage of American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.