Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led Tehran’s Friday prayers for the first time in five years, delivering a sermon in Persian and Arabic where he reiterated his support for Arab groups fighting Israel.
Khamenei's speech came amid expectations of an imminent Israeli retaliation following Iran's large missile strike on Israel on Tuesday. While many anticipated that he would address either Israel’s expected response or Tehran’s nuclear program, Khamenei avoided both topics during his sermon.
The cleric instead praised his state’s missile attack, calling Israel the "rabid dog" of America with the character of a wolf, saying, "the brilliant work of our forces just a few nights ago was also completely within their rights”.
Khamenei called for unity among Muslim nations, stating “We have to tighten the belt of defense, ... from Afghanistan to Yemen, Iran to Gaza and Lebanon, in all Islamic countries. That’s the first issue I wanted to discuss.”
The 85-year-old leader’s rare appearance at the Friday Prayers came amid a recent wave of assassinations targeting his key allies, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike. Seated in one of the prominent seats next to Khamenei, was Abdullah Safieddine, Hezbollah's representative in Iran and brother of Hashem Safieddine, who was targeted by Israel the previous night.
The second part of Khamenei's sermon, delivered in Arabic, solicited mockery from Iranian social media users, who noted that the cleric read from a script, made several errors, and spoke with an accent that many Arabic speakers found difficult to understand.
The lengthy message in Arabic largely criticized the involvement of the US and its allies in the Middle East, regarding their support for what he referred to as the "occupying regime" (a term typically used by Iranian state leadership to refer to Israel).
Repeating his assertion that US and Western support for Israel is aimed at "seizing all the resources of this region," particularly its oil wealth, the Supreme Leader stated, "In this scenario, any blow, by any individual or group, against this regime [Israel] is a service not only to the region but to all of humanity."
These strikes followed the high-profile Israeli assassinations of Hezbollah's Nasrallah and a senior IRGC commander in Lebanon. Additionally, a purported Israeli strike in July killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
While Khamenei and other Iranian officials have maintained that their missile retaliation against Israel was within their legal rights, experts told Iran International that this justification is questionable. Haniyeh was not Iranian official, and the Iranian figures who were assassinated were not killed on Iranian territory. Therefore, some experts have argued, Iran lacks a valid legal basis for its retaliatory attack on Israel under international law.
Throughout his speech, Khamenei spoke about the rights of the Palestinian people and defended Hezbollah, asserting that no one should criticize the militant group for supporting and defending the Palestinian cause.
Addressing the people of Lebanon, Khamenei said they should not lose hope or purpose in the face of the loss of key figures, alluding to Nasrallah and other prominent Hezbollah leaders.
Earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran would deliver a strong response to any further Israeli actions, reiterating Iran’s capability to defend itself.
Pezeshkian also emphasized that Tehran is not seeking an all-out war with Israel, stressing the importance of regional stability and cautioning against further provocations. The diplomatic balance remains precarious, with Iran signaling both readiness for defense and restraint in avoiding a broader regional conflict.