Washington DC - US President Donald Trump said Friday he had saved Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khameni from assassination and lashed out at the supreme leader for ingratitude, declaring he would order more bombing if the country tried to pursue nuclear weapons.

In an extraordinary outburst on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran for claiming to have won its war with Israel and said he was halting work on possible sanctions relief.

Trump said that the US would bomb Iran again "without question" if the country was still able to enrich nuclear-weapons grade uranium following US strikes.

The US president accused the Iranian leader of ingratitude after Khamenei said in a defiant message that reports of damage to its nuclear sites from US bombing were exaggerated, and said Iran had beaten Israel and dealt Washington a "slap."

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Trump posted: "I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life."

"I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, "THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'"

Trump said that he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, one of Tehran's long-term demands.

"But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump added, encouraging Iran to return to the negotiating table.

Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the US, after Trump said at a NATO summit in The Hague that negotiations were set to begin again next week.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff had expressed hope "for a comprehensive peace agreement."

Asked earlier in a White House press conference whether he would consider fresh air strikes if last week's attacks were not successful in ending Iran's nuclear ambitions, Trump said: "Sure. Without question. Absolutely."