Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to defeat the country’s “enemies” in his rare Friday sermon, backing Palestinians and Lebanese movements against Israel. Addressing a gathering of tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei justified its missile strikes on Israel as a “public service”. “Israel will not in any way prevail against Hamas or Hezbollah,” he declared amid chants of “we are with you”.
Khamenei’s first Friday sermon in five years marks a crucial show of defiance amid threats to the supreme leader’s life. He remains a top target for Israel, which has vowed to retaliate after Tuesday’s missile attacks.
In his speech, he also praised Hassan Nasrallah, the former chief of Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week.
“Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is no longer with us, but his spirit and his path will continue to inspire us forever. He was the high standing flag against the Zionist enemy. His martyrdom will further increase this influence. The loss of Nasrallah is not in vain. We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith,” Khamenei told the gathering.
Khamenei also called Hezbollah a “blessed tree” that grew steadily under the leadership of Nasrallah.
“It is the duty and responsibility of all Muslims to help the blooded people of Lebanon and to support Lebanon’s jihad and the battle for al-Aqsa mosque,” he declared.
The Iran supreme leader, who backs the Palestinian Hamas group, called their October 7 attacks on Israel as the “correct move”.
“No international law has the right to object and protest against the Lebanese and Palestinians for standing up for themselves against the occupation,” he told the crowd.
Khamenei, who spoke after a prayer ceremony for Nasrallah, also called Israel a “tool” for the United States “to take control of all the lands and resources in the region.”
“There is no doubt that the Zionists and the Americans are dreaming – the Zionist entity will be uprooted from the ground, it has no roots, it is fake, unstable, and exists only because of American support,” said Khamenei.
