Khamenei justified the missile attacks on Israel as a “public service”.
New Delhi: Israel “won’t last long”, said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader while delivering his first Friday sermon in five years on October 4, 2024, even as he remains the “most veritable” target for Israel which has vowed to retaliate after Tuesday’s missile attacks.
Khamenei justified the missile attacks on Israel as a “public service” as he addressed tens of thousands of devotees who had gathered at Imam Khomeini’s Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran as he backed the Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel.
A few pictures showed what looked like an automatic rifle leaning against the dais from which Iran’s supreme leader read out his message. He said that Israel would not prevail over Hamas or Hezbollah.
He strongly reaffirmed Iran’s support for anti-Israeli militia groups like Hamas and Hezbollah as he issued warnings of potential direct missile strikes from Iranian soil if deemed necessary.
“We neither procrastinate nor hurry in fulfilling our duty. What is reasonable and correct according to the opinion of political and military decision-makers will be done in due time and will be done again in the future if necessary,” IRNA news agency quoted him as saying in what sounds like a thinly veiled warning for Israel.
Prayers were held for late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and his companions, including Iranian General Abbas Nilforushan, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Beirut last week, reports IRNA.
“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,” said Khamenei adding that Hezbollah is a “blessed tree” that grew steadily under the leadership of Nasrallah.
On Hamas, Iran’s supreme leader supported the October 7 attacks on Israel as he said, “The Palestinian nation has the right to stand against the enemy who has occupied its land and ruined its life. Defending the Palestinians is legitimate, and helping them is also legitimate.
“The Al-Aqsa Storm Operation was a legitimate move, and the Palestinians were right. The defence of the Lebanese people of Gaza is a legitimate and legal move. The brilliant operation of our armed forces was completely legal and legitimate.”