Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that forces opposed to Israel would be unstoppable if Israel continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in response to the surprise attack by Hamas. Khamenei made the comment at a meeting in Tehran, reported news agency AFP. The Islamic republic has maintained close contact with regional allies since Hamas militants attacked the Gaza border, resulting in over 1,400 casualties, primarily civilians.
In response, Israel carried out a devastating air and artillery bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 2,750 Palestinian casualties, predominantly civilians. Khamenei warned that if Israel’s actions persist, Muslims and resistance forces would act, and no external force could prevent them.
Khamenei, with the final say in major state policies in Iran, emphasised that no matter what Israel does, it cannot compensate for its perceived failure. He called for a reaction to the situation in Gaza without specifying the nature of the response, reported AFP.
Referring to Iran and its allies as the “axis of resistance,” Khamenei criticised the nations for supporting Israel after the Hamas attacks. Israel, anticipating a ground offensive, deployed tens of thousands of troops on its border with Gaza and advised nearly half the enclave’s population to evacuate.
Iran, a supporter of the Hamas, celebrated the attack while denying direct involvement. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian discussed the situation with the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, attributing the continuation and expansion of the conflict to US encouragement of Israel’s attacks against Gaza civilians, the AFP report stated.
Amir-Abdollahian hinted at possible “pre-emptive action” by the “resistance front” against Israel, and President Ebrahim Raisi expressed urgency in finding a political solution. Khamenei rejected claims that most Israelis killed were civilians, arguing that people in settlements are armed. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has prioritised support for the Palestinian cause in its foreign policy.
