What's happened
In a rare public sermon, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei defended recent missile strikes on Israel, asserting they were a legitimate response to the deaths of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. He called for regional unity against Israel while emphasizing Iran's commitment to supporting its allies in the region.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, Khamenei's sermon was a rare public appearance where he emphasized the legitimacy of Iran's missile strikes, stating, 'the brilliant action of our armed forces... was completely legal and legitimate.' The New York Times highlighted the emotional atmosphere during Khamenei's address, noting that attendees carried flags and posters in support of Hezbollah. The Independent reported on the implications of Khamenei's call for regional unity, suggesting that it could lead to increased military cooperation among Iran's allies. These contrasting perspectives illustrate the complex dynamics at play in the region, with Khamenei's speech serving as both a rallying cry for supporters and a warning to adversaries.
How we got here
The recent escalation follows the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by Israeli forces. Iran's missile attack, involving nearly 200 missiles, was framed as a necessary act of defense and retaliation.
More on these topics
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Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei is a Twelver Shia Marja' and the second and current supreme leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the president of Iran from 1981 to 1989.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
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Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a
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Hassan Nasrallah is the third and current Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary party Hezbollah since his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by the Israel Defense Forces in February 1992.
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Masoud Pezeshkian is an Iranian heart surgeon and reformist politician of Azerbaijani and Kurdish descent who is currently President-elect of Iran.
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.