TEHRAN – During a meeting with the veterans of the Iran-Iraq war, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei commented on the events transpiring in Palestine and Lebanon, stating Resistance fighters will emerge victorious in the fight against the Zionist regime. 

“The definitive religious ruling is that it is obligatory upon everyone to strive and help to return Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Muslims and its rightful owners,” he asserted.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated, “Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is standing up for Gaza and enduring these bitter events, is engaging in fighting on the path of God.”

Pointing to the similarities between the current battle and the eight-year imposed war, the Leader stated, “In this battle, the infidel and evil enemy is equipped with the best resources. The U.S. is behind them. The Americans claim that they are not involved and are unaware of things, which is false. Not only are they aware and involved, they also require the victory of the Zionist regime.”

“Because of the upcoming elections, the current US administration needs to demonstrate that it has supported the Zionist regime and helped it achieve victory. However, they also need the votes of Muslims, so they pretend that they are not involved,” he added.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also highlighted the Zionist enemy’s access to substantial financial resources, weaponry, and global propaganda, stating, “The equipment and resources of the believers and the Mujahideen are a fraction of what the opposite side possesses. Nevertheless, victory lies with those who fight in the path of God, namely the Palestinian Resistance and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.”

Ayatollah Khamenei attributed the successes of the Resistance Front to the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist regime, which include large-scale massacres of innocents, women, and children, alongside the bombings of schools and hospitals. He emphasized that had the Zionist regime the capability to vanquish fighters in Gaza, the West Bank, or Lebanon, it would not resort to such heinous acts as a means to project an illusion of dominance and superiority.

He regarded the blows inflicted on the Resistance forces and the martyrdom of leading commanders of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a loss for the valiant resistance movement. “These losses will not bring Hezbollah to its knees, for its organizational and military prowess, as well as its authority, far exceed these matters,” he noted.

The Leader emphasized, “Up until today, the Resistance Front has emerged victorious, and by God’s grace, the ultimate victory in this battle will belong to the Resistance Front.”
Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei elaborated on the motivations behind Saddam Hussein’s war against the Iranian nation in 1980, saying, “The impetus for the attack on Iran's borders was not limited to Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party. Rather, the leaders of the global order at the time, namely the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their allies, also had strong motivations for the invasion.” 

He attributed the hostility of superpowers towards the unrivaled popular Iranian Revolution to the “unbearable” nature of its new ideology and message. “Their animosity stemmed from the fact that the Islamic Revolution was a clear cry against the false and destructive order prevailing in the world as well as the imperialist system, that divides the world into oppressors and the oppressed, imposing the culture and views of the oppressors on other countries.”

Highlighting the unwillingness of superpowers to accept the new message of the Islamic Revolution – one that possessed the potential for widespread appeal across nations – the Leader remarked, “These nations were poised to seize any opportunity to launch an attack on Iran. At the same time, Saddam, who was an ambitious, greedy, impudent, oppressive, and reckless person, provided the powers with this opportunity, and by instigating them, he initiated an attack against Iran.”

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that today, owing to the steadfastness and active participation of the Iranian nation in various arenas, no adversary dares to attack Iran's borders. “Today, they are engaged in mischief and hostility in a different form, and we must understand deeply that the reasons for their animosity derive not from pretexts such as nuclear energy, human rights, or women's rights. Rather, it stems from their opposition to the Islamic Republic’s new narrative that challenges the corrupt global order,” he asserted.

In reflecting upon Iran’s unfavorable circumstances at the onset of the imposed war in terms of military equipment and combat readiness , the Leader noted, “According to predictions and conventional material standards, the invading forces should have reached Tehran within one to several weeks. However, after a year had passed, our initially disadvantaged troops secured remarkable victories and delivered lethal blows to Saddam's well-equipped army. Ultimately, after eight years, they were expelled from our country's borders. The main factors underpinning this victory were faith and struggle.”

The Leader highlighted that the war was not limited to the defense of the nation, which is a noble endeavor in itself, rather it was a sacred duty, a defense of Islam, and a fulfillment of a Quranic command, known in Islamic literature as “fighting on the path of God.”

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the Sacred Defense was instrumental in keeping the Revolution and Islam alive. “As a result, the battlefields turned into places of worship, prayer, supplications, midnight weeping, and selfless service. It was due to this spiritual fervor that the Almighty God bestowed dignity, support, and victory upon the Iranian nation,” he remarked.