Mr. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a video feed transmitted live on state television. This was his first public statement since the war broke out earlier this month. In this unique speech, Khamenei focused on the United States’ complicity and role in the ongoing war. This predicament developed after Israel carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and specifically targeted Iranian military leaders and scientists.
The video showed Khamenei seated next to an Iranian flag and in front of a portrait of his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini. He blasted U.S. interventionist during the entire presentation. Khamenei asserted that the U.S. acted out of fear that “if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.” His comments expose an extreme level of anti-American and anti-Semitic sentiment as hostilities are again increasing in this volatile part of the world.
Despite looking even more tired than his recent outings, Khamenei was undeniably bellicose in his speech. He believed that the United States “won nothing from this war,” as if American service was all for naught. His message underscored the power of his presence and the immediacy of that momentous event, bringing attention to an Iranian missile strike on an American base in Qatar. He initially described it as a “hard slap to America’s face.”
Khamenei emphasized the readiness of Iran to respond to any further U.S. aggression, asserting that the nation “has access to key U.S. centres in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary.” He warned that the U.S. would “certainly pay a very big price” if it ever attacked Iran again.
This is especially true given how long Khamenei has been out of the public eye. He sought shelter in a secret place, escaping from the war that continues to rage. His absence from the event fueled speculation about his health and leadership during this tense period for Iran.
