Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a Friday prayer sermon today at the central Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, marking his return to the pulpit after five years.
Even hours before the Friday prayers, a large crowd gathered at the mosque, with Iranian citizens eager to listen to their Supreme Leader’s sermon and to pray under his guidance.
In his sermon, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the importance of Muslim unity, urging Muslims to express solidarity with oppressed peoples. He called on Muslim nations to form a defensive line stretching from Afghanistan to Yemen, and from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon.
He stated that every country has the right to defend itself against aggression, pointing out that Iran’s enemies are the same as those of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Yemen. “The Palestinians are in the right, and we stand with Palestine,” he asserted, adding that the Quran teaches the necessity of unity among Muslim nations. He warned that the enemies of the Muslim community are united and that the unity of believers is a source of divine mercy.
Ayatollah Khamenei also cautioned Hezbollah’s leader about Israeli conspiracies, indicating that the next attack would be even more painful. He stated that Iran’s missile strikes against Israel were a decisive response, asserting that just as the October 7 attack was justified, so too is Iran’s response to Israel. He emphasized that Iran would neither delay nor rush its responses, but noted that a united Muslim front could overcome adversaries.
He remarked that the actions taken by Iran’s armed forces were merely the minimum response to Israel’s provocations. He confirmed that a recent military action by Iranian forces was fully legal and justified.
Khamenei reiterated that if necessary, further actions would be taken in the future, accusing Israel of orchestrating a narrative of victory through violence and the killing of civilians.
In his sermon, he reiterated the need for Muslim unity and expressed that Muslims must show solidarity with the oppressed. He noted that Israel’s behavior fosters anger and resistance, while American support for Israel is part of a broader policy to seize regional resources.
He indicated that the aim of Israel is to establish a route for energy exports from the region to Europe, and predicted that Israel would never achieve victory over Hezbollah and Hamas. He assured that resistance in the region would not retreat, and that the crimes of the Israeli government would ultimately lead to its downfall.
In closing, he commented on Hezbollah’s development, noting that its gradual and logical progression would only increase its influence, particularly following the martyrdom of its leader. He described the Zionist government as baseless and unstable, incapable of achieving victory over either Hamas or Hezbollah.
