IRGC Commander Hossein Salami: 'We Are Living In An Era In Which God Has Given A Clear Victory To The Front Of Islam... In Recent Decades, We Have Had Unceasing Jihad [Holy War] And Unstoppable And Ongoing War With The Arrogant Regime [The U.S.] And Its Partners'

In two speeches in early May 2024, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Hossein Salami spoke about the successes of Iran and the Islamic Revolution against Western civilization, the U.S. (aka "the arrogance"), and especially Israel.

Pointing at the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which is referred to by Iran and Hamas as "Al-Aqsa Flood," and Iran's April 14, 2024 missile and drone attack on Israel, Salami noted that Iran was waging a holy war – jihad – against Israel and against the West headed by America. The purpose of this jihad against Israel, he said, is to destroy it, and the two successful operations led by Iran against Israel prove that this goal is at hand. He went on to say that the jihad against the West and America is being waged because they want "to control the entire Islamic world, and to eradicate their cultural identity." He also said that the U.S.'s political influence was waning and that it was vulnerable.

Although the Iranian regime played up the fact that it had never initiated a war against its neighbors, Salami's words reveal the raison d'etre of the messianic regime of Iran's Islamic Revolution – that is, waging perpetual and unbridled holy war against Western civilization via takeovers of Sunni Arab lands, and the first target in this jihad is Israel. All this is under the guidance of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is divinely inspired, guides the army of Islam, and reaps successes.

This report will review these two speeches by Salami, on May 1 and May 7, 2024:

Salami's Speech On May 1, 2024: "The Zionist Regime Suffered An Intelligence Failure In The Al-Aqsa Flood, And In [Operation] True Promise, It Suffered A Deterrence Failure"

At a May 1, 2024 appreciation ceremony for Iran's Teachers' Day at the IRGC General Command headquarters in Tehran, Salami praised Iran's April 14 drone and missile attack on Israel and noted that while Iran had responded to Israel in a limited and measured way and had targeted one minor location, Israel and the West that defends it had deployed forces across the region without any element of surprise. He hinted that Israel's defenders had been notified of the attack in advance. Salami clarified that the Iranian superpower was standing fast against the global forces and that it was up to facing them, thanks to the superior figure of its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who draws his inspiration from God and transfers His plans to the Iranian people, the IRGC, and the Qods Force.

Salami said: "[Operation] True Promise [the drone and missile attack on Israel] was a display of the will of the Iranian nation. The will of the Iranian nation was given expression and concentrated in the will of the leader of the Iranian nation. Leadership is the expression of the will of God and the will of the people, and recognition of the value of the regime of the velayat [-e faqih, the Rule of the Jurisprudent], which is the will of God.

"In Operation True Promise, everyone experienced new glory and authority. The Zionist regime suffered an intelligence failure in the Al-Aqsa Flood, and in True Promise, it suffered a deterrence failure. We are living in an era in which God has given a clear victory to the front of Islam. God has given us the ability and the talent to be a receptacle of the divine blessings in these critical, sensitive, and decisive times of the Islamic Revolution.

"Everyone knows that in the recent decades we have had unceasing jihad and unstoppable and ongoing war with the arrogant regime [the U.S.] and its partners in the various coalitions. Our enemy had many different strategies against us, and used them in various ways against the glorious revolution and our sacred regime. It opened all the directions of battle, and examined all the ways to overcome the [Iranian] regime. All these battles were full-scale and with the maximum possible use of force. The enemy did not cease its hostility anywhere – not on the horizon of time, not in the scope of space, and not in the intensity of activity.

"The enemy came to the [battle]field by all possible means, from war outside [Iran's borders] to the phenomenon of harsh economic sanctions to terrorism, battles, the apostasy [of ISIS], intelligence wars, instigating security [rebellions], invasions of the culture, and media wars. It tried all these ways, and confronted the [Islamic] revolution with grave risks at various times."

"Every Country In The World Is Weakened By War – But Iran [Only] Grows Stronger From War... We, [Iran,} And Primarily The IRGC, Are Raised On The Jihad [Battle]field... We Are In A Full-Scale War"

"There is no historical precedent for a country exposed to four decades of traditional and modern wars against an enemy that is as big as half of the world's economic, cultural, military, and political power. After decade four of this, it [Iran] was in its most mighty, dominant, and strong situation. Nothing but divine tradition could have justified this amazing fact.

Salami (Source: Tasnim, Iran, May 5, 2024)

"Every country in the world is weakened by war – but Iran [only] grows stronger from war. Every country in the world is destroyed by sanctions, but Iran is built up from sanctions. Every country in the world is isolated by political  pressure, [but] Iran is has achieved influence by means of political pressure. Every country in the world collapses when there are domestic rebellions, but our regime has strengthened its domestic stability by virtue of the rebellions. Anything the enemy ever did [against Iran] has turned against it.

"'We, and primarily the IRGC, were raised on the jihad [battle]field': As long as the enemy is in its [own] nest and we are at home, it will not be defeated, and neither will we be victorious. As long as we do not meet [on the battlefield], we will not be able to exhaust, tire, depress, or weaken the enemy.

"We are in a full-scale war. The hands of this war, like the hands of a clock, are keeping us occupied with the enemy at every point in the issue. One day the economic war becomes the enemy's focus of evil, and the next day they escalate the battles of apostasy [Iran claims that the U.S. created ISIS]. Another day a domestic rebellion breaks out [Iran accuses foreign agents of instigating unrest in Iran]. All these are displays of various components in the reservoir and the strategic reserves that the enemy has built up. Based on our strength and knowledge, we must be present in the field against such an enemy, with experience and knowledge, with tools, and with defined methods.

"The secret of the IRGC's success in expanding its strength, strategic initiatives, innovation and creativity in this area is that the IRGC is involved on three levels of the war: the strategic level, the operational level, and the tactical level.

"We are knowingly commanded to defend the Islamic Revolution with deep insight, strong knowledge, advanced tools, new methods, and new knowledge. The defense of the Islamic Revolution includes all the aspects of our lives, because the enemy has turned all the aspects of our lives to war. From knowledge, the economy, culture, and politics to security and livelihood – all [these] have become the battlefield, and therefore the IRGC training must flourish with this wide variety of topics. The IRGC must build the infrastructure of the country, with the most modern tools, the most complex techniques, and the most up-to-date knowledge."

"The Characteristics Of The Leader And Imam [Khamenei] Are Such That His Personality, Identity, And Traits Multiply And Flow In The Body Of Society – And This Is A Divine Opportunity"

"We are always being compared. Have we progressed, or are we falling back? The pride of the revolution today is by virtue of the artful blessing of the deputy Imam Al-Zaman [i.e. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the deputy of the Mahdi, the Shi'ite messiah]. We have both attacked our enemies and had our hands wide open [to threaten them]. Our leader [Khamenei] has bound the hands of the enemy, built the land, and revived the strength to defend the revolution and the country. With all the complex crises interwoven with each other, he [Khamenei] has stood in the middle of a nearly unmanageable battlefield [to direct it] with the wisdom and logic of the [divine] revelation and with acknowledgement of the profundity of the divine tradition, without fear of the ostensible splendor of the enemy. [From there] he has influenced the hearts of the believers with proper guidance in the difficult moments, and amid the waves of infection gave peace and built a proud and famous society in the name of Islamic Iran.

"[These were] decades of struggle, hardship, and reproach – reproach aimed with arrows from the tongues of ignorance and out of the enemy's intense hatred of the very center of the regime's leadership [Khamenei], with the aim of weakening this stability and steadfastness and this solid column [Khamenei] and the supremacy of Islam. Throughout several decades, God has generously lavished His support on the hearts of the believers, and our leader, in many areas, and has strengthened our hearts. In the True Promise event [Iran's missile attack on Israel], you clearly saw that no Iranian even feared the enemy response – no one feared the enemy, even though everyone thought the enemy would retaliate.

"Every people is the echo and the reflection of the personality of its leader. The characteristics of the leader and Imam [Khamenei] are such that his personality, identity, and traits multiply and flow in the body of society – and this is a divine opportunity. In this case, [i.e. Operation True Promise], it was the most exceptional decision of the regime [to attack Israel] – a decision based on both great courage and profound wisdom. The scope of this decision, and its courage, were the surprising element in this story. An important part of our strength was the display of this will.

"We, that is, those who execute [the decision], do not do the hard work. He [Khamenei], that is, the decisionmaker and the one who takes responsibility for the operation, that dives into the heart of the global pressure and cuts the enemy in two – it is he who is our main source of strength."

"On [Iran's] Side, It Was A Limited Operation... But On The Other Side, All The Capabilities Of A Large War Were Activated Simultaneously, With No [Element Of] Surprise" – Hinting That Israel's Attack On Iran Was Coordinated With The U.S.

"This operation [Iran's attack on Israel] was carried out by this side [Iran] against a specific point [Israel] and the world responded on the other side… The territories of Greece, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Hejaz [Saudi Arabia], Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Turkey were territories of the war used by the enemy.

"On [Iran's] side, it was a limited operation, an exceptional part [missiles and drones] of a great power [Iran], [and this] was a very small part [of the arsenal] of a great power. But on the other side, all the capabilities of a large war were activated simultaneously, with no [element of] surprise [i.e., hinting that Israel's attack on iran was coordinated with the U.S.]. Nearly 90% of our [element] of surprise was taken away. Perhaps the enemy did not know the exact moment and exact target [of the attack], but this territory of Zion [Israel] is so small that all the points are connected.

"At the same time, France, Jordan, America, Israel, and other [countries] across a broader radius, in full force, all acted, and, in contrast to [Iran's] small operation, they carried out a large war. Of course, they can do this only once, since if a second wave of attacks [of missiles and drones] were to begin, the effectiveness of the coalition's joint defense system would be reduced by at least 50%; for a third wave, it would be 50% less than the second wave, and so on.

"It was decided that although the biggest power in human history [the U.S.] declared that 'our stand alongside Israel is ironclad,' everyone will come to this small and crowded defense point [Israel] and everyone said, 'We will respond,' what happens in a case where such a direct and official enemy [Iran] takes responsibility for the launch of hundreds of missiles and drones? The war is expanded to Zionist soil as everyone watches, and for the first time in decades, a single superpower [Iran] wages war on the land and in the space of the Zionists. Eight hours of panic, confusion, fear, anxiety [for the Israelis and their allies]. This [Iranian] will to launch [these weapons] is an unmatched power, and everyone knows that it will be repeated. This is our equation.

"This operation [Iran's attack on Israel] reassured everyone; even our enemies were reassured. Even those who made a show of strength in the north, in the west, and in other places – all were silenced.

"The Zionist regime does not accept war in its country at all. According to Israel's defense doctrine, war must take place outside its borders. For the Zionists, deterrence means [that the enemy will have] no will to shoot. When no one is harmed, there is no will to shoot – [but] when all this is broken, [the premise of] preventive war is canceled. We announced officially that 'we are attacking' and everyone knew that this [Iran] was the superpower that announced officially that 'we are attacking,' 'we are giving a slap.'

"He [Khamenei] strikes, fears not, and trusts in God. The leader [Khamenei's] final statement to us was: 'Trust in God, trust in planning, wisdom, will, and strength.'

"The IRGC must be seen in terms of the scope and magnitude of these operations. Of course, this operation was small. The IRGC must be strengthened – it is of course strong, but power, like a living being, must be constantly growing, becoming whole, and renewing. If we stop its growth and might, we will lag behind the enemy."[1]

Salami's Speech On May 7, 2024: "America... Wants To Control All The Muslims, Eradicate Their Cultural Identity, Seize Their Wealth"; "We Are Blocking The Enemy's Path In The Eastern Mediterranean; We Are Expanding The Front [Outside Iran] So The Enemy Is Divided; The Islamic Countries Must Become An Arena Of Jihad Against The Arrogant Ones, Because We Have A Shared Enemy"; "Today, America's Geopolitical [Control] In The World Has Receded... Its Power Has Been In A Downward Spiral For Years"

At a memorial ceremony on May 7, 2024, marking 40 days since the death of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the IRGC Qods Force in Syria and Lebanon, who was killed by Israel in Damascus alongside other IRGC officers, Salami explained why Iran operates far beyond its borders. He said that Iran sees it as its duty to save Muslims from oppression by "evil in the world and the arrogance [i.e. the U.S.]". America's goal, according to Salami, is to control the entire Islamic world, and to eradicate its cultural identity and to pillage the property of the Muslims. Calling on all the Muslims in the Islamic world (most of whom are Sunnis) to unite (under Khamenei's Shi'ite leadership) in order to block the American incursion into the countries of the region, he said that they should "serve as an arena of jihad against the arrogant ones" are a common enemy of Islam.

Salami explained the expansion of Iran's presence to Sunni-Arab areas of the Middle East and the "expansion of the front" to those areas by saying that it obstructs the enemy – the West – from entering the Muslic countries. He emphasized that Iran's struggle against the U.S. since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 was intended to stop its incursion into the Islamic world. Justifying the existence of Qods Force, he says that it serves this end, by "blocking the corners from which the enemy penetrates the Islamic world," thus defending not only "Iran's national security" but also the "security and dignity of the other Muslims." Concluding his speech, Salami reiterated the main achievement of the Al-Aqsa Flood and True Promise operations – that is, proving the destruction of Israel is possible. He also emphasized that Israel's end is near, and added that America's dominion of the world has also shrunk, and its power has declined. The following are the main points of his speech:

"The Main Purpose Of The Revolution Was To Revive The Greatness Of Islam In The Current Age And To Save The Islamic Nation From Slavery... The Arrogance, Of Which America Is The Center, Knows No Limits In Pursuing Its Goal Of Controlling The Islamic World"

"... These martyrs chose jihad, and obtained what they were seeking. The martyr Zahedi was a stalwart commander and an ongoing legend of the Islam Guard [i.e. IRGC], and [his deputy] the martyr Muhammad Haj Rahimi was a devout, noble, humble, and diligent general.[2]

"The philosophy and profound mission behind the martyrdom of these children of Islam are a great mission that is part of Iran's glorious revolutionary Islamic mission. The main goal of the revolution was to revive the greatness of Islam in the current age and to save the Islamic ummah from enslavement to [Western] tyranny. Fighting for oppressed Muslims who are under the rule of the world's evil [i.e. the West, headed by the U.S.] is the most beautiful responsibility and mission to us, the men of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

"The main policy of the arrogance [the U.S.] towards the Islamic countries, which is to delineate borders between them, giving them independent political identities, will never divide them. The arrogance, with America at its center, knows no bounds in pursuing its goal of controlling the Islamic world, and views the Muslims as a single, united, and contiguous unit.

"America made its target the entire Muslic world. The names of different Muslim countries do not stop its policy. It wants to rule all the Muslims, to eradicate their cultural identity and confiscate their wealth. [Therefore], all of us Muslims are in the same boat. If the enemy manages to penetrate Islamic territory, it will widen that breach further, and so the arrogant ones' path to taking over must be blocked.

"We Are Blocking The Enemy's Path In The Eastern Mediterranean... The Islamic Countries Must Become Arenas Of Jihad Against The Arrogant Ones, Because We Have A Shared Enemy, Destiny, And Ideals"

"We are blocking the enemy's path in the eastern Mediterranean. We are expanding the front to divide the enemy. The Islamic countries must become arenas of jihad against the arrogant ones, because we have a shared enemy, a shared destiny, and shared ideals. We cannot live apart from each other.

"The Islamic Revolution's 46-year struggle against the arrogant ones is waged on the basis that the Islamic countries must not surrounded by arrogant ones. We must defend our assets and our identity. The mission of the Qods Force is to block the corners through which the enemy is penetrating the Islamic world. By doing so, we are defending both the national security of our country and the security and dignity of other Muslims.

Salami (Source:

"The Number Of Enemy Lives Is Dwindling. The Al-Aqsa Flood... Showed How Vulnerable The [Israeli] Regime Is... It Is The Most Hated Regime On Earth, As Is The American Regime Which Protects It... We Are Nearing The End Of Its Political Life"

"The presence of the arrogant ones in the Islamic World causes nothing but destruction. Wherever they stepped foot, they caused poverty, displacement, and killing. They can only slaughter and bury the bodies of Muslims under the rubble. This situation is intolerable for us. This is why these martyrs entered the battlefield. The martyr Zahedi did not take off the vestments of jihad for 46 years, and did not leave the arena for even a moment, just like Hajj Qassem [Soleimani]. They sacrificed their lives and their families for the good of the [Islamic] ummah.

"The number of enemy lives is dwindling. The Al-Aqsa Flood pushed Israel to the brink of brain death braindead, showing how vulnerable this regime is, and how its home is [as fragile as] a spider's web. It lacks stability. The most hated regime on earth is Israel, and so is the American regime which protects it. With the military and political support of America, and the artificial resuscitation of the West, it [Israel] has managed to prolong its life to its very limit.

"[Operation] Al-Aqsa Flood was a complete intelligence failure by one of the intelligence superpowers, but as this terrible Flood continued, [Iran's operation] True Promise [on April 14, 2024] dealt a critical blow to the body of this cruel regime, and showed that the most densely defended area of the world, which is supported by America. England, France, and several Arab countries, can be defeated by a limited attack.

"We are nearing the end of this [Israeli] regime's political life. America's geopolitical [dominion] has receded in the world, and America is becoming morally bankrupt in the world. America wants to falsely present itself as a protector of human rights, democracy, and prosperity. Its power has been in a downward spiral for years."[3]