Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel “won’t last long” while expressing support for Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel during a rare Friday sermon attended by tens of thousands in Tehran.
Khamenei described missile strikes on Israel as a “public service” and asserted that Israel would not succeed against Hamas and Hezbollah, as chants of solidarity filled the mosque.
This sermon marked Khamenei’s first in five years and highlighted his defiance amid ongoing threats to his life, especially following Israel’s vow to retaliate for recent missile attacks.
He also honored Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah chief killed in an Israeli airstrike, stating that Nasrallah’s spirit would continue to inspire resistance against the “Zionist enemy.”
Khamenei claimed that the “Zionist entity” is unstable and exists only due to American support.
His comments came just three days after Iran launched 180 missiles at Israel.
The last time Khamenei led Friday prayers was in January 2020, following a missile strike on a U.S. base in Iraq.
