BEIRUT, Lebanon — In a rare speech, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Friday that his regional allies would persist in their resistance against Israel.
His remarks came as he defended Iran’s recent missile strike targeting Israel.
Khamenei’s address in Tehran followed Iran’s second direct attack on Israel, which occurred amidst escalating clashes between Israeli forces and Tehran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
In anticipation of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel, Khamenei endorsed the Palestinian group’s actions as “logical and legal,” praising their “fierce defense” against Israeli forces.
The unprecedented attack by Hamas left 1,205 people dead, sparking both widespread condemnation and support from Iran-backed groups, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Early Saturday, Hezbollah reported ongoing confrontations with Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Residents of southern Beirut were warned to evacuate by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, as explosions rocked the area.
Across the region, public support for Hamas and Hezbollah was visible in Jordan and Bahrain, where demonstrations took place after Friday prayers.
Khamenei declared that the resistance in the region “will not back down with these martyrdoms, and will win,” denouncing Israel as a “malicious regime” that “will not last long.”
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon have killed more than 1,110 people since late September, including an Iranian general and several key Hezbollah leaders, including its top figure, Hassan Nasrallah.
As Israel considers retaliation for Iran’s missile strikes, U.S. President Joe Biden has urged caution, discouraging strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure, while Republican candidate Donald Trump advocated for targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire continue, with Iran’s Foreign Minister expressing support for a truce acceptable to Hezbollah and synchronized with a ceasefire in Gaza.