In the aftermath of Israel’s strikes in Iran, and America’s continuing efforts to disrupt Iranian progress until peace is assured, the Supreme Leader of Iran has come out with a stern message. It can be found on an official X account by way of a twelve-part posted thread.
Albeit its language is strong, using terms like “Imperialism” and “malicious” to describe the US, it has to be interpreted politically to make any sense. Addressed particularly to the Middle East – if they have friends, still – Mojtaba Khamenei exhorts defiance of criticism of Iranians.
“Imperialism, led by the US, has built a military base called Israel over the past 80 years. And they don’t accept the existence of a strong, independent Iran on the eastern border of the false, illegitimate geography of “Greater Israel”—that is, east of the Euphrates River.”
He implies any perceived damage to infrastructure sustained in recent months should be ignored for the sake of their stability. He seems to insist Iran has not suffered critical losses, and that Iranians are happy to carry on as they were before.
He implies Islam remains the focus of his work and he will help his people to be better Muslims as a result of protecting them from any outside influences he finds. He’s also a third in a line of leadership. He refers to his late father as a predecessor to his as-yet undefined path.