During the Friday sermon at the Mosalla Mosque in Tehran where the memorial service for Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his martyred companions was held, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran Sayyed Ali Khamenei began by honoring Sayyed Nasrallah, with a heartfelt tribute.

In his Friday Prayers sermon, the first he has led in years, he said, "I saw it fit to honor my brother, my pride, the popular figure of the Islamic world, and the shining pearl of Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, during Tehran's Friday prayers," adding, "We are all saddened and grief-stricken by this great loss, but our mourning does not mean that we must be depressed, or feel hopelessness."

Sayyed Khamenei emphasized that Sayyed Nasrallah was a brave defender of the oppressed, and a support for freedom fighters, a leader "whose popularity went far beyond the borders of Lebanon, Iran, and Arab countries."

He added that Hezbollah and its martyred leader are the essence of Lebanon's Resistance, "[an essence] we came to know through the graces it offered", highlighting that Hezbollah and its martyred leader have taken a vital step for peace for the entire region through their defense of Gaza.

Sayyed Khamenei also stated, "Sayyed Nasrallah has led a difficult struggle for 30 years, and under his leadership, Hezbollah has grown step by step... Hezbollah truly is a blessed tree."

'Every community has the right to defend its sovereignty'

Sayyed Khamenei emphasized that enemies of the Islamic nation are also enemies of Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt Syria, and Yemen. He assured that the Islamic nation is aware and can successfully overcome enemy plots, stressing that support must be given to people under attack from enemies seeking hegemony over them; "we must defend them". 

Sayyed Khamenei stated that every community has the right to defend its sovereignty and self-determination against occupiers, asserting that no international law prevents Palestinians from defending their land and exercising their duty in liberating their land, and further adding that no one has the right to oppose Hezbollah for its decision to support the Palestinian people.

The Iranian leader honored Lebanon's diehard defense of the Palestinian people, describing it as "correct and natural".

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'Resistance took Zionist entity back 70 years'

Sayyed Khamenei stated that the West has concluded that the entity has not achieved victory at all against Hamas and Hezbollah.

"The principal factor for wars, insecurity, and backwardness in the region is the presence of this entity and the presence of countries that claim to strive for peace," he said, adding that the main problem in the region is foreign interference.

On that note, discussing the strength of the Resistance, he said that the "cowardly enemy was unable to deal a blow to the firm structure of Hamas, Hezbollah, PIJ, and other [Resistance] movements struggling in God’s name, and so resorted to faking victory through assassinations, destruction, and bombing civilians".

Sayyed Khamenei elaborated, "This approach has only fueled growing anger, strengthened the motivations for resistance, led to the rise of more men, leaders, and martyrs, and gradually tightened the noose around the bloodthirsty wolf."

He added that the Resistance in the region will not back down with the martyrdom of its men, and victory will be on the side of the Resistance, highlighting that the "struggle of the men of Palestine and Lebanon has taken the Zionist entity back 70 years."

Sayyed Khamenei emphasized that the Israeli entity is "a malicious tree that has been uprooted from the face of the earth, as the Almighty's words hold true: it has no stability." He further noted, "There is no doubt that the dreams of the Zionists and Americans are nothing but impossible illusions."

In this context, he emphasized that "the loss of the revolution's leaders in Iran was a difficult blow, but it did not halt or slow the course of the revolution; instead, it propelled it forward at a faster pace."

Operation True Promise 2

Regarding the recent Iranian operation, Sayyed Khamenei emphasized, “Operation True Promise 2 is a remarkable step by our armed forces, fully justified and entirely within the bounds of legality and legitimacy.”

He stressed that what Iran did is the minimum punishment that must be dealt to the Zionist entity for its horrible crimes, adding that Iran will not waver in fulfilling its duty. "We will not delay, act impulsively, rush, or fall short in our responsibilities."

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Tehran reported that this is the first time in nearly five years that Sayyed Ali Khamenei has led Friday prayers in Tehran, following the assassination of martyred leader Qassem Soleimani.

In addition, Iranians in the capital, Tehran, chanted "We are at your service, Nasrallah" during the memorial ceremony for the martyred leader.