Tehran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a stark warning of “divine wrath” if Tehran fails to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
In a speech delivered on Wednesday, Khamenei emphasized that any inaction—whether military, political, or economic—would incur “divine wrath” as outlined in the Holy Quran, according to Iran International. He denounced what he described as “enemy psychological warfare” aimed at deterring Iran from responding to Israel’s actions.
“Governments that yield to the demands of today’s dominant powers, regardless of the size or strength of the nations they represent, could defy these pressures if they draw on the strength of their people and accurately assess their adversaries’ true, unembellished capabilities,” Khamenei stated.
The assassination of Haniyeh last month in Tehran, which occurred during the inauguration of Iran’s new president, has escalated tensions between the two countries. Haniyeh had previously highlighted his freedom of movement in Tehran shortly before his death.
Khamenei also criticized the exaggeration of enemy capabilities by the US, UK, and Israel, describing this tactic as a means to instill fear—an approach he claimed has been used since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
Despite employing psychological tactics and threatening retaliation, Iran has yet to take concrete action. Some speculate that Iran is cautious about escalating the conflict but uses the threat of retaliation to extract concessions from the US, which aims to prevent a broader conflict, according to Iran International.
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On Thursday, US President Joe Biden suggested that a ceasefire in Gaza could dissuade Iran from retaliation and allow Hamas to regroup.
Western leaders have urged Iran to exercise restraint to avoid further regional tensions and to facilitate the release of over 100 hostages held by Hamas. Iran has dismissed these warnings as “illogical and excessive,” asserting its right to retaliate independently.
Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has publicly backed Khamenei’s stance on retaliation but is rumored to have privately expressed concerns about the potential repercussions of further escalation.
Iran’s President has acknowledged that war is undesirable but affirmed the right to “punitive responses against an aggressor,” as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency.
