Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei congratulated Iranians for what he described as a victory over Israel and the United States, in defiant remarks published on state media that appeared to be his first public statement since U.S. war planes bombed three of the country’s nuclear facilities.

It took a CBS News crew more than 14 hours to drive south from Turkey to Tehran, a nearly 600-mile trip made longer by checkpoints and bad roads.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claimed victory over Israel on Thursday in his first public statement since a ceasefire was declared in the war between the two countries.