At an October 17, 2023 meeting with members of Iran's elite scientific circles, at the Imam Khomeini Husseiniya[1] in Tehran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei instructed the commanders in Iran and the leaders of the resistance organizations that they must respond to Israel's attacks against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He also called on U.S. President Joe Biden to restrain Israel.
Khamenei: "If The Crimes Of The Zionist Regime Continue, The Muslims And The Resistance Forces Will Lose Their Patience And Nobody Will Be Able To Stop Them"
In response to statements made by representatives of some countries to Iranian officials about Israel's right to defend itself against the crimes committed against it, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei justified the massacres carried out by Hamas, which is a proxy of his, against Israeli civilians, arguing that there are no civilians in Israel and that all Israelis are armed. He also said that Israel "kills one hundred times more" Palestinians in its attacks in Gaza and deliberately targets civilians. In addition, he called for Israel to be tried for genocide.
On the eve of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel and the region, Khamenei warned the U.S. that it must act to restrain Israel's response to Hamas.
Khamenei delivered his speech while surrounded by photos of IRGC nuclear and missile experts who have been assassinated or killed, including: Iranian nuclear program pioneer and chief Mohsen Fakhrizadeh; Iranian missile program pioneer and chief Hassan Tehrani-Moghaddam; Iranian nuclear scientists Masoud Ali Mohammadi, Ahmadi Roshan, and Majed Shahriari; an Iranian scientist named Mostafa Chamran who was killed in the Iran-Iraq War; and an Iranian electrical engineer named Darioush Rezaeinejad, who is linked to Iran's nuclear program. Khamenei praised Iran's scientific achievements, particularly with regard to nuclear technology and missiles, and called "to take maximum advantage of this opportunity" and to continue growing.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei surrounded by photos of Iranian missile and nuclear scientists who have been killed or assassinated.
The following is a translation of the main points of Khamenei's speech:
"The researchers and scientists must not tolerate the gluttony of the oppressor [i.e. Israel] and the hunger of the oppressed [i.e. the Palestinians]. We must respond. Let's respond. Today, in the case of Gaza, this response is on all of us. We must respond. Some are hungry, some have been bombed, some are being murdered by the hundreds.
"A scholar, whether he is a researcher at a university or a religious scholar, must strive to know the truth and insist on. Researchers and scientists must not be indifferent… I have said many times: 'Knowledge is power.' If we want to protect the state from the damages of the countries of the world, the top priority and most important mission is to advance scientifically – if we remain behind, we will be vulnerable… The future is bright and full of hope. We must use our motivation and the existing capabilities to move forward. A talented nation can grow, but it does not always have the opportunity to do so. Our experience and past tell us that we must take maximum advantage of the opportunity available to us… If we don't take advantage of the opportunity to want and be able to exist, we have made a mistake.
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"If the crimes of the Zionist regime continue, the Muslims and the resistance forces will lose their patience and nobody will be able to stop them. Of course, it does not matter what the Zionist regime does – it cannot compensate for the scandalous failure it has suffered in this event.
"The plundering Zionist government must be tried. With regard to the Palestinian cause, what the entire world is seeing is the crime of genocide on the part of the plundering [Israeli] regime. The entire world sees this. Over the past several days, thousands of Palestinians have been killed. This is a crime being carried out before the eyes of all the people of the world. The criminal and plundering Zionist regime must be tried for this.
"Officials from several countries that have spoken to the officials of our country have defended the plundering Zionist regime by claiming that the Palestinians killed civilians. First of all, this statement is false and contradicts reality. That is, those present in the settlements are not civilians, since they are all armed. If we assumed they are civilians, how many civilians have been killed? The plundering regime kills one hundred times more women, children, elderly, youth, and civilians, including [bombings] buildings in Gaza without any soldiers at all in them. [Hamas's] soldiers are located in their positions and [Israel] knows that these are civilians, and they also choose densely populated areas and attack them.
"According to the large amount of information we have, the current policy of the Zionist regime during these days and the past week is orchestrated by the Americans. They dictate the policy. The Americans must be aware that they are responsible. The bombings must stop immediately. The Muslim countries are very angry, and you can see the gatherings [of Muslims] not just in Islamic countries, but also in Los Angeles, Holland, France, and the European countries. In the Western countries, people are gathering – Muslims and non-Muslims. People are angry."[2]
To view excerpts of Khamenei's speech on MEMRI TV, click here or below
Khamenei Advisor Ali Akhbar Velayati To Hamas Representative In Tehran Khaled Qaddoumi: "The Supreme Leader Is Very Serious About The Palestinian Cause And You Should Continue In Full Force"
On October 16, 2023, Khamenei's advisor Ali Akhbar Velayati met with Hamas's representative in Tehran Khaled Qaddoumi and called on the Palestinian resistance to continue "in full force," promising that the Islamic world is united behind the Palestinians. Reiterating a Hamas-Iran trope, he promised Qaddoumi that Israel " is doomed to be destroyed, and you and the Palestinian people will remain proud and victorious." The following is a translation of the main points of his statements:
"Steadfastness is the correct path to achieving final victory [over Israel]. The speed with which Operation [Al-Aqsa Flood] was carried out is admirable. This was a large operation that surprised the enemies. Iran stands by the oppressed Palestinian people, and we will continue [our moral support]. Iran's [Supreme Leader Khamenei] is very serious with regard to the Palestinian cause and you should continue in full force. We know that this move will cause other Arab and Islamic countries to tilt in [the Palestinians'] favor and support you – as you can see, the Islamic world is today united in supporting you.
"The Israeli regime is doomed to be destroyed, and you and the Palestinian people will remain proud and victorious. I congratulate all the leaders and fighters of the resistance front in Palestine. We see Palestine as the center of the struggle against the oppressors. Whoever is steadfast in Palestine – this means that they are steadfast in the path of Islam."
Khaled Qaddoumi responded to Velayati:
"I express my appreciation for Iran's support of the Palestinian nation's ambitions. In addition to all the victories that have been achieved, the recent success and victory of the Palestinian nation are unique, and our people have proven that the Zionist regime is waning. We will manifest this victory and liberate holy Jerusalem and the Palestinian nation.
"The path to freedom is hard, and we must continue marching through all the difficulties, in accordance with Supreme Leader [Khamenei's] statement that it is impossible to compensate for the defeat that the Zionist regime has suffered. Today, we must unite in accordance with the dear words and orders of [Khamenei's] holiness in order to achieve our goal, which is victory over oppression and over the criminal Zionist regime."[3]
Khamenei's international affairs advisor Ali Akhbar Velayati. Source: Tasnim (Iran), October 16, 2023.
