Ali Khamenei addressed the Iranian people and spoke about the escalated situation in the Middle East. As he himself emphasized, “the Palestinian people have a legal right to defend themselves”, while noting that “our enemy is one”.
The Ayatollah, the supreme religious leader in Iran, made a rare public appearance in which he wanted to make his own mark after the missile attack on Israel. He had not appeared publicly for five years, and decided to make this move in the shadow of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, in order to confirm Iran’s support for both Hezbollah and Hamas. At the same time, in his speech he did not fail to fire against the Israeli government.
What Ali Khamenei said about Israel
“The policies adopted by our enemy want to sow the seed of discord among Muslims. The same enemy is for the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Egyptians and the Iraqis. The same enemy is for the people of Yemen and Syria,” Ali Khamenei emphasized in his speech.
“The enemy works everywhere with a certain method. If it ends in one country, it will move on to the next,” he noted, wanting to demonstrate Israel’s expansionist policy.
“The October 7th attack was a legal act, and so was Iran’s attack on Israel,” he added. In fact, he called on the Muslim nations to prepare to resist.
Ali Khamenei claimed that Iran’s strike on Israel was the “minimum punishment” for its “extreme crimes”. While he added that, “we will not delay or rush to fulfill our duty. What our politicians and military think is reasonable and right will be done at the right time and will be done again in the future if necessary.” At the same time, he emphasized that the Islamic Republic is neither going to hesitate nor rush for the next attack.
Ali Khamenei’s “tribute” to Hassan Nasrallah
“Every country, every people has the supreme right to defend themselves against absolute tyranny,” Ali Khamenei noted earlier, reading verses from the Koran at a memorial service for former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“Hassan Nasrallah’s wish for Lebanon and Hezbollah would be to not be disappointed. Israel pretends to achieve strategic victories through assassinations and civilian deaths. Israel cannot seriously harm either Hezbollah or Hamas,” he added about the leader of the Lebanese organization.
The speech of the Iranian leader lasted about 40 minutes.
Why Ali Khamenei conducted the great Friday prayer
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially holds the title of leader for the Friday prayer. However, in recent years he allows subordinates to perform his duties.
The last time Khamenei led Friday prayers in Tehran was in 2020, when the US killed General Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport.
According to Iranian media, a part of his speech was held in Arabic, addressing the people of Lebanon and the Palestinians.
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