Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a warning against any retreat or compromise, citing the concept of “divine wrath”. This comes in the wake of rising tensions between Iran and Israel following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed during an official visit to Tehran last month.
Khamenei’s comments condemned “enemy psychological warfare” aimed at pressuring Iran to reconsider any plans for retaliation against Israel. Khamenei, 86, said any retreat, whether military, political or economic, would invite severe divine punishment.
Haniyeh’s killing, which Tehran has attributed to Israeli intelligence agencies, has put Iran in a precarious position as it considers the timing and nature of its response.
“Governments that succumb to the demands of today’s major powers, regardless of their country’s size or strength, can withstand these pressures if they take advantage of the strength of their people and correctly assess the real capabilities of their opponents,” Khamenei said, according to Iran International.
The ayatollah also criticized the long-standing tendency to exaggerate the strength of enemies and cited historical examples of American, British and Israeli efforts to weaken Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite the heated rhetoric, Iran has refrained from taking immediate retaliatory action, which some analysts have seen as a strategic pause. However, Iranian officials have rejected Western calls for restraint, with the Foreign Ministry criticising Western countries for their alleged double standards. Iran has accused these countries of turning a blind eye to Israel’s “genocidal” actions in Gaza, while Iran is expected to renounce its right to retaliate for Haniyeh’s killing.
Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly supported Khamenei’s tough stance, although reports suggest he has privately expressed concerns about the potential consequences of further escalation of tensions.
Israel has made it clear that any direct aggression from Tehran will be met with forceful response. Israeli officials have reportedly warned the US and European countries that an Iranian attack on Israeli territory would trigger swift and decisive retaliation from Israel.
