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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today, Friday, that the Islamic Republic “will neither delay nor hasten” in fulfilling its obligations against Israel, in his first public statement after about a week of being moved from his residence to another secure location due to fears for his life following the assassination of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Israeli threats of further escalation in the region.

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In a rare speech delivered in Arabic during his Friday sermon, Khamenei added, referring to the Israeli threats against his country: “The magnificent work accomplished by our armed forces two nights ago was entirely legal and legitimate,” in reference to the Iranian missile attack on Israel. He emphasized that the October 7 attack on settlements and towns surrounding Gaza was legitimate, as was Iran’s strike on Israel.

Khamenei led the prayer at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in central Tehran before a large crowd, following a commemoration ceremony for the Hezbollah secretary-general and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Abbas Nilforushan, who were killed in an air raid.

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He stated, “Every people has the right to defend its land and sovereignty against occupiers and usurpers,” stressing that “the Palestinian people have full right to rise up against the occupier who has trampled on their lives.”

Khamenei affirmed that Hezbollah’s defense against Israel was “a crucial service for the entire region,” underscoring that Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli raid a week ago in Beirut, “was the banner of resistance and the brave defender of the oppressed.” He further stated that Hezbollah’s defense of Gaza and its support for the Al-Aqsa Mosque were “vital services for the entire region.”

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He stressed that Israel will never defeat Hezbollah and Hamas, addressing the fighters of both factions: “The spilling of blood should not weaken your strength.” He added that Israel’s recent behavior had ignited anger and reinforced “the motives for resistance.”

He attacked U.S. policy, saying that “America’s focus on maintaining Israel’s security is a cover for its policy of seizing the region’s resources,” adding that “there is a goal to make Israel a gateway for exporting energy from the region to Europe.”

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He insisted that Islamic countries must stand united, from Afghanistan to Yemen, and from Iran to Gaza and Lebanon, considering Israel a common enemy.

This Friday sermon is the first Khamenei has delivered in about five years. It comes after the assassination of Nasrallah and a Revolutionary Guard commander, as well as the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in a strike attributed to Israel in late July. It also comes just three days before the first anniversary of the war between Israel and Hamas, which is supported by Iran.

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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that the missile attack it carried out against Israel on Tuesday night was a response to the assassination of Nasrallah, Haniyeh, and Abbas Nilforushan, the Quds Force commander in Lebanon.

The last time Khamenei led Friday prayers was in January 2020, after Iran fired missiles at an American base in Iraq in response to the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad Airport in a U.S. strike.

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Iranian media reported that crowds gathered on Thursday in Tehran near the former U.S. embassy, waving Iranian and Hezbollah flags and denouncing Israeli “crimes” in Gaza and Lebanon. Khamenei declared a five-day national mourning period in Iran for Nasrallah.

Analysts believe that Iran’s missile strike on Israel, the second in less than six months, was intended as retaliation for a series of strikes targeting Tehran and its allies in the “axis of resistance.”

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Tehran claimed its strike was “legitimate self-defense,” warning of “devastating attacks” on Israel if it retaliated. The United States, Israel’s main ally, was also warned against intervening against Iran, under the threat of severe retaliation, though Washington has said that Iran’s attack would have “consequences.”

U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that there were “ongoing discussions” about possible Israeli strikes against Iranian oil facilities in response to the ballistic missile attack.

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Israel said Iran had fired about 200 ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory, most of which were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. U.S. forces deployed in the region also contributed to the interception of the missiles, as did Jordan.

Last April, Iran carried out a similar attack in response to the bombing of its consulate in Damascus, which it blamed on Israel. Drones and missiles, mostly intercepted, were used in that attack. It was the first time Iran had directly targeted Israeli territory.

Israel has promised to respond to the Iranian attack “at a time and place” of its choosing.

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