Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that U.S. strikes against Kataeb Hizbollah bases in Iraq and Syria on 29 December was “revenge for ISIS from al-Hashd al-Shaabi because al-Hashd al-Shaabi cropped and destroyed ISIS, which they had created and developed… I condemn the American’s malice”. Citing President Trump’s tweets about Iran’s responsibility for turmoil at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and his warnings that Iran could “pay a very big price”, Khamenei riposted that Trump “can’t do anything”, adding that “the people of this region hate the U.S. government”. He went on to say that “We will never lead the country to war, but if others want to impose something on us, we will stand up to them powerfully”.