Although Iranian regime spokesmen are denying any connection between Iran and the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Iranian regime’s proxy Hamas, Iranian regime officials are glorifying this attack by stressing Iran’s overall victory over the West in general and the U.S. and Israel in particular.[1]
In ideological speeches since October 7, officials such as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, and his deputy Ali Fadavi, along with IRGC Qods Force deputy commander Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh and Tehran Friday preacher Ahmad Khatami, a senior member of the regime system of religious officials delivering the regime’s weekly messages to the public, have praised Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for setting the Islamic Revolution on the path to becoming universal. They are unfurling the global vision of the Iranian regime, according to which the West, led by the U.S., and Western culture, are the enemies of humanity and the party of Satan that is fighting the party of God – that is, Iran and Islam.
Now, according to the mouthpieces of the regime, the organizations of the “resistance” are fighting with great success against Israel, the U.S., and all those hostile to Iran, which is the flagbearer of Islam and will control the world by means of its axis of proxies that Iran has established across the Middle East in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories.
The following are the main points of these ideological speeches, by IRGC commander Salami, Tehran Friday Preacher Khatami, IRGC deputy commander Fadavi, and IRGC Qods Force deputy commander Fallahzadeh:
IRGC Commander Salami: “The Enemies Of The Islamic Regime Were, And Are, The Enemies Of All Humanity… We Are Completely Overcoming The Enemies”
On November 30, in the city of Kazvin, IRGC commander Hossein Salami spoke about the vision of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and its spread throughout all humanity. Sketching out the forces of good in the world – the forces of Islam, headed by revolutionary Iran – that are fighting against the Satanic forces – the U.S., Zionism, and the liberal West – he stated that the latter are, in fact, the enemies of all humanity. He said:
“According to the logic of the Islamic Revolution, the enemies of the Islamic regime [the U.S., Israel, and European countries] were, and are, the enemies of all humanity, and today the world is rising up against them…
“We are proud to be fighting on several fronts. We are fighting America, Zionism, and all those who are targeting the greatness and honor of the [regime of the] Islamic Revolution of Iran… We are advancing [Iran’s Islamic] regime by means of belief in the hearts, hands, and steps [that we are making], as the profound belief of the heart and the sense of deep brotherhood are our main assets for advancing towards high horizons, and, as noted by the leader [Khamenei], we are on the verge of conquering great heights.
“We are completely overcoming the enemies. The signs of victory on the fronts of the Islamic resistance, their honor and refusal to submit, and the resistance of the Muslims have made the enemies helpless and in despair… The veterans of the wars are the founders of the culture of jihad, and had they not fought on the difficult [battlefields in the past], today not only would Islamic Iran not be liberated from the rule of the [Western] oppressors, but neither would any of the [other] Islamic countries.
“The world has seen the terrible, cruel, and criminal face of the enemy [Israel and the U.S.] in the past month and a half [in Gaza]. When the true face of the enemy concealed behind the mask was revealed, and their evil nature exposed to the world, the logic of the Islamic Revolution dawned, and everyone realized that the revolution, inspired by the alertness of its leaders, had caused the world to become aware that the reality of the hatred towards the arrogance [the West, headed by the U.S.] is real…”[2]
Salami: Khamenei “Is The Leader Of The Islamic World And Of Humanity… In The Geography Of The World, There Is No Room For Weak Nations… The Morning Of Victory Is Nigh, With God’s Grace, And Soon We Will Merit Greatness And This Victory”
In his speech at the session of the National Congress of 1,000 Martyrs of Eastern Azerbaijan Province, on December 14, 2023, Salami glorified Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, saying that he had brought Iran’s Islamic revolutionary regime to greatness. Stressing the need to continue to strengthen Iran militarily, Salami said that it was the legacy of the martyrs and the export of Iran’s revolution that strengthened Iran. He said:
“The greatest honor of this land is Supreme Leader [Khamenei], whose image is deeply rooted in this land. He is the leader of the Islamic world and of humanity, and he guides the supreme ideals of the Islamic Revolution, which constitutes the ongoing legacy of the struggle of the great leader of the Islamic Revolution [i.e. its founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] to save humanity from the oppression of the tyrants [the West, led by the U.S.] and the war against the modern-day jahili [pre-Islamic ignoramuses]…
“The martyrs of this land shine like the bright stars of the great galaxy of this region… The enemies wanted us to act like them, and to live like they planned for us. They wanted to say that the Muslims cannot be powerful. They wanted to leave us weak – but the struggle of the Imam [Khomeini] and the resistance of the people did not allow the enemy to actualize its scheme.
“The military array and strength of the Iranian people were created against the enemies, and they stand fast against them. In the geography of the world, there is no room for weak nations, and we must stand fast for our ideals – and that is what our martyrs did…
“Iran advanced and was strengthened by virtue of the blood of the martyrs, who gave us a strong Iran and then passed away. The martyrs brought us to the height of honor and pride. The martyrs gave us an invincible Iran, a strong and progressing Iran, an Iran that overcame all the difficult economic problems, an Iran that neutralized the cultural invasion [of the West], an Iran whose young people hasten to help the oppressed, an Iran whose leader is the embodiment of the evocation of inspiration of the spirit of the resistance and who stood fast in the difficult events of history.
“The IRGC commanders and the martyrs glorified the image of Iran in the world. Everywhere you go, they talk about Iran with confidence and pride, and no one dares harm this land. This is the eternal legacy of the martyrs. The martyrs made us no longer need the legendary heroes Rostam and Sohrab [from the 10th century Persian epic], and we are happy to be in an environment in which the families of the martyrs are as steadfast as cedars, because they are the light of the eyes of the Islamic ummah. By virtue of their dear ones, Iran is confident and growing, and it is an Iran that the martyrs build with their blood.”The enemies seek to destroy us. The enemies of Islam [i.e. the Zionists] occupied Palestine, and uprooted its people from it. The Zionists turned the hospitals [in Gaza] into battlefields, and are not allowing anyone to get water. Their role is to kill children, and for them, victory is only killing women, the elderly, and children, and this arouses global hatred towards the Zionist regime. The global hatred towards the Zionists no longer differentiates between Muslims and non-Muslims [that is, the entire world hates Israel], and the streets of London and Europe have risen up against the Zionists, even near the White House.
“When the Zionists cannot tolerate the existence of Palestinian children and women, it means that they are weak, and that [not much time] remains until their collapse. [Additionally,] America has lost its morality, and it still does not know that it cannot triumph by killing an oppressed people.
“They will gradually also lose the political arena. Perhaps once the nations thought that America was a land that respected and believed in human rights, but now, everyone has understood its rotten thoughts, and realized that it knows nothing but torture, besieging the nations, oppression in the world, and support for the oppressors. America will also fail economically, and Palestine will triumph, by virtue of the resistance.
“The world does not recognize that the oppressor can overcome the oppressed. Countless evil powers have been dismantled by the oppressed, and the Palestinian people will absolutely triumph in the arena of this battle. Be certain that the morning of victory is nigh, with God’s grace, and soon we will merit greatness and this victory.”[3]
Tehran Friday Preacher Khatami: “Today A New Middle East Was Created, At The Center Of Which Is [The Iran-Led] Resistance Axis, That Is Disrupting The [Power] Equation”
Tehran Friday prayer imam Ahmad Khatami boasted, in his Friday sermon on December 8, 2023, about Iran’s takeover of the Middle East by means of the resistance axis that it established and that was attacking Israel and the U.S. The following are highlights of his sermon:
“Our heart bleeds at these pictures and at the cruelty of the Zionists [in Gaza]. Our dear Imam said that we are exporting the revolution to the world. Our strategy, since the beginning of the revolution, was that Israel must leave the region, and that all of Palestine belongs to the Palestinians; therefore, elections [i.e. a referendum among all Palestinians worldwide] must be held to determine their fate. Seventy five years have passed since the crimes of the Zionist regime, and today the world has understood the truth of this strategy. Today, even in England, that played a role in the establishment of this regime, hundreds of people are chanting ‘death to Israel.’
“Once, the American secretary of state spoke about the ‘new Middle East.’ But today, a new middle east was created, at the center of which is [the Iran-led] resistance axis, that is disrupting the [power] equation. Today, the Yemenis [Iran-backed Houthi militia] are holding the [power] equation at Bab El-Mandeb; the Hashd Al-Sha’bi [militia] is striking at American bases in Iraq and other American bases, and Hizbullah [in Lebanon] is striking constantly at Israeli bases – that is, this is the new Middle East.
“What the resistance axis did [the October 7 massacres] and what it is doing [today, that is, its attacks against Israel and the U.S.], is an example of legitimate [self] defense. It is the resistance’s natural reaction to 75 years of the Zionist regime’s crimes, and an example of action according to the Quran.”[4]
IRGC Deputy Commander Fadavi: The Palestinians “Undertook A Preventative Operation So That If A Disaster Befalls Them, They Will At Least Have Achieved Some Gains… They Were Certain That The False Front And The Party Of Satan Would Not Triumph And That The Party Of God Would Dominate”
IRGC deputy commander Ali Fadavi spoke at an international summit titled “The Al-Aqsa Storm and Gaza: Narratives and Facts,” held at the Tehran branch of the Islamic Azad University on November 27, 2023. Explaining that historic world events, and especially the establishment of Israel, were a plot of the West’s satanic forces of evil against the forces of good – that is, Muslims and Islam – he added that Iran’s Islamic Revolution was the historic turning point that allowed and inspired the Muslim forces of good to fight “the party of Satan.” Thanks to the resistance front, founded by Iran’s Islamic revolutionary regime, these forces, he said, are defeating the Zionists and their supporters. His main points were as follows:
“The October 7 war is related, in a way, to 1945 [the end of World War II] or even to 1914 [the beginning of World War I]. If we want to arrive at the correct analysis, we must look to the Quran, because the Quran spoke very clearly. One of the most distinct verses in the Quran is the one saying that the Party of God would win under any conditions, and that the Party of Satan would not win even once.
“Caution must be taken regarding delineating who is in the Party of God and who is in the Party of Satan. Regulated, organized tyranny and occupation were planned by the false front and the great demons in the West, [that is,] England and America, to take steps in the heart of Islam [i.e. establishing Israel in the heart of the Islamic lands] to serve their interests, as they felt that Islam posed a danger. It was not related to religion, it was about a political party, and now Jewish scholars are openly saying that there is a difference between the religion of the Jews and Zionism [Iran denies the existence of Jewish nationality and acknowledges Judaism as a monotheistic religion only].
“They [the U.K, U.S., and Israel] carried out an occupation that no one legitimizes, in addition to the crime they have committed. In facing the [Israeli] occupier, the given task was clear – to resist and take action. The few who did try to resist did not succeed, until the Imam [Khomeini] founded, in 1963, a movement that was different from all other movements. From Day One of the Islamic movement, the Imam was at the vanguard of attacking the Zionists. Thus, they felt endangered, and the Imam was exiled [to Iraq].
“With the victory of the Islamic Revolution [in 1979], this path reached a turning point that had not previously existed. Here [in Iran], another nation arose, coordinated and acting in synergy with [Iran’s] Islamic revolutionary regime. The struggle against oppression and arrogance [i.e. the U.S. and the West], and support for the [concept of] resistance, are included in the second principle of our constitution. [There are] five points that are the pillars of the religion [Islam], in addition to the sixth, which I pointed out – supporting the oppressed and fighting the oppressors.
“The IRGC carried out [these] religious decrees as they were given to it directly by the Imam [Khomeini] as its outlined plan. The impact of this knowledge was passed on to lovers of the Islamic Revolution, and they grew [in number] very quickly. An Islamic revolution means Islam, and in Islam, these missions are known to be missions that must be carried out, and if they are not, one must answer to God for this. The resistance front has expanded in different places – in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and so on – and will continue to expand in the same way. When this expansion grows on the basis of these principles, and their power grows, and they understand what the enemy wants, they [the resistance factions] will take preventative action against the enemy.
“In the six months [prior to October 7], they [Israel] maintained a routine that is not acceptable to Muslim Palestinians. They crossed lines they should not have crossed – harming Al-Aqsa mosque, killing citizens – in a way that became different in those six months, that is, in addition to the Zionist army killing Palestinians, their settlers also did this. The Palestinians have had over 200 martyrs in the last six months, and were told that it [Israel] has a serious plan for the Palestinian people [the U.S.-Saudi normalization initiative].
“This is why they [the Palestinians] undertook a preventative operation so that if a disaster befalls them, they will at least have achieved some gains. The preventative action of October 7 took place because they [the Palestinians] were certain that the false front and the party of Satan would not triumph and that the party of God would dominate. There were certainly many tactical and operational gains that have proven themselves – hundreds of people crossed all the boundaries erected [by the Israelis and entered Israel from Gaza]. Some $1.2 billion were spent [by Israel] on that 40-km border of Palestine that collapsed [on October 7]. The Palestinians took a large number of Zionists [captive], and that image of the [invincible Israeli] army that was built up in the media, and which of course had collapsed once before in the 2006 Lebanon War – this time it was very different, since the Palestinians were the ones who attacked…
“All The Developments And The Discourse Of The Resistance Movement Are Thanks To The Blessing Of The Islamic Revolution And The Support Given To The Resistance Factions By Iran, And This Process Is Ongoing”
“The Yemenis [Houthis] targeted an American plane, damaged and took over a ship, and struck at the Zionist settlers. We have now heard some of the terrified voices of the Zionists, and the state they are in is clear. In the 50 days, they were unable to produce a single photo of a captured or killed Hamas soldier. Later, they staged a video showing a single [Hamas] soldier being captured, all while their tanks, armored vehicles, and equipment was being damaged. This means that the rules of the Quran, as stated by God, are unbreakable… The Zionists were defeated, strategically, operationally, and tactically.
“All the developments and the discourse of the resistance movement are thanks to the blessing of the Islamic Revolution and the support given to the resistance factions by Iran, and this process is ongoing…”[5]
Qods Force Deputy Commander Fallahzadeh: “The Enemies Launched An Ideological War In The Heart Of Islam [i.e. They Established Israel] Against The Messenger Of Allah [Muhammad] And His Supporters, And This War Will Continue Until The Emergence [Of The Messiah]”
In an interview with the Lebanese Al-Ahed website on January 1, 2024, Qods Force deputy commander Gen. Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh set out the messianic world view of the Iranian revolutionary regime, according to which Israel’s existence constitutes an ideological war on Islam and God. Equating the struggle of Iran and its supporters against Israel’s existence today to the Prophet Muhammad’s fight against polytheism and apostasy, and noting that this would continue until Israel was eradicated, he went on to call Iran the symbol and leader of the resistance against the forces of the enemy, i.e. the U.S. and Israel. He added that Iran’s forces across the Middle East would continue the religious war, according to the orders of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Below are the main points of his interview:
“Gaza and the resistance [front] have entered the battle against the enemies of Allah and of humanity, most heroically and courageously. The resistance front – including Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad – are partners in this battle. Hizbullah is also participating, on the south Lebanon front and in northern occupied Palestine, where it charged at its enemies like lightning. The West Bank too has become an undeclared battle arena… and its supporters and this war will continue until the emergence of Baqiyyatullah[6] [the 12th Imam in Twelver Shi’a], may Allah hasten His salvation. Just as the jihad fighters fought for Allah, and the supporters of the Prophet [Muhammad], in their day, fought against the polytheists and apostasy, thus the supporters of the mightiest Prophet [Muhammad] are fighting today in Gaza, and, like them, [they are like] bombs falling on the heads of their enemies. At this stage, they have been able to deal the enemy a strategic defeat and to break its political hegemony, and to deal a blow to the security, intelligence, military, and economic apparatus of the enemy and to neutralize it [on October 7]. Thus, the Zionist entity is now in a profound and real crisis.
“The resistance fighters in Gaza, with the support of the resistance of the West Bank, Hizbullah, powerful Yemen [the Houthis], and the heroism and the resistance in Iraq [the Iran-backed Shi’ite militias attacking U.S. bases] have succeeded in defeating the military enemy in the second phase [of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and of the fighting against Israel after the October 7 massacres]. The enemy remains stuck between survival and destruction. It cannot continue the war, and it has not accomplished anything. The resistance is triumphing, with God’s help, and all the resistance forces in Gaza and worldwide are continuing [to fight] until complete victory over the forces of arrogance and treachery [the U.S. and the West] is achieved, and until the Zionist entity is eliminated, if God wills it…
“The Islamic Republic [of Iran] is the symbol of the resistance. It was established on the basis of resistance through conflict with the schemes of America and the forces of the arrogance and Zionism, and the Islamic Republic will continue on this path, as stressed by the dead Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini and the [current] Imam [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei.”[7]
[1] See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 1726, The Iranian Regime’s Doubletalk About The October 7 Hamas Invasion Of Israel: To The Muslims – ‘”Death To America” Is Not Only A Motto But A Policy’; To The West – Iran Has No Part In The Israel-Hamas War, November 10, 2023; Inquiry and Analysis No. 1729, Iranian Regime Officials Praise Iran’s Proxies In The Palestinian Resistance And The October 7 Massacres, Call For Eradication Of Israel, December 1, 2023; Special Dispatch No. 10889, Exclusive Report By Iranian News Agency Tasnim: ‘The “Mighty Pillar” Maneuvers Were The Resistance [Organizations’] Planning For An Attack On Israel; [They Constituted] Four Years Of Training The Palestinians For ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’, October 19, 2023; Special Dispatch No. 10860, Iranian Website Asr-e Iran Calls On Iranians Not To Speak Out On Iranian Involvement In ‘The Hamas-Israel Conflict’ – For Fear Of Harming Iranian Interests And International Status, October 13, 2023; Special Dispatch No. 10857, Iranian Regime Mouthpiece Kayhan: Iran Is The Mind And Hands Behind Hamas; Operation ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ Was Planned, Orchestrated By Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani Before He Was Killed; Khamenei Hinted In August 2022, August 2023 At ‘The Complete Conquest’ Of Israel, October 12, 2023.
[2] Farsnews.ir, November 30, 2023.
[3] Farsnews.ir, December 14, 2023.
[4] Tasnimnews.ir, December 8, 2023.
[5] Tasnimnews.ir, November 27, 2023.
[6] One of the names of the Twelfth Imam who disappeared in the ninth century and will reappear in the Final Days as the Mahdi, the Shi’ite Messiah, to save the world.
[7] Alahednews.com.lb, January 1, 2024.