Enemies will take their wish of fatiguing Iranian nation to grave: Senior cleric

Tehran’s Interim Friday Prayer Leader has asserted that the enemies of the Iranian nation hope to see the people fatigued, but will take that wish to their graves.

Speaking during the Eid al-Adha prayers held at the University of Tehran on Wednesday, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami denounced the United States as “a liar unprecedented in history.”

“The enemy has to, for once, speak the truth so the world can see whether it knows the way of honesty or not. [US President Donald] Trump’s nature is one of deceit. He has always proceeded negotiations (with Iran) with trickery and lies,” he said, arguing that the enemy seeks nothing less than the total submission of the Iranian nation.

The US and Israel initiated a war of aggression against Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country.
The attacks led to the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

It came as Tehran and Washington had held three rounds of indirect negotiations in the Omani capital of Muscat and the Swiss city of Geneva, and planned to open technical talks in Vienna, Austria.

Iran immediately retaliated against the strikes by launching barrages of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases and interests in regional countries.

On April 8, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire after Washington received a 10-point proposal from Tehran.

‘Refuse to fear Pharaohs of the Era’: Pezeshkian’s Eid message calls Muslims to unity, steadfastness

The Iranian president says unity among Muslims is key to opening the gates of divine victory.

Ayatollah Khatami noted that the fervent and continuous presence of the people on the streets for over 87 nights is a clear manifestation of resistance.

“What would be disgraceful, and we ask God to keep us away from it, is submission to the enemy, something that will never happen. You are a dignified nation and will remain so,” he added.

The Friday prayer leader also highlighted the “epic of the Flotilla of Steadfastness,” which gathered from around the world to support the oppressed people of Gaza.

He said this movement demonstrated two things: “First, the living conscience of humanity. These people set sail knowing that the criminal Zionist regime would attack them, and that is a value in itself. Supporting the oppressed is a virtue, even if one is not a Muslim.”

He added that the second thing was that it revealed the pinnacle of villainy, criminality, and cruelty, which is now “stamped on the foreheads of both the Zionists and the criminal Trump, who supported this child-killing villain (Israel).”

On Monday, the Israeli army attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off the coast of Cyprus. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth had earlier reported that activists abducted from the flotilla were being transferred to a navy ship described as a “floating prison” before being taken to the port of Ashdod in the occupied territories.

This is not the first time the flotilla’s mission to deliver desperately needed aid to the Gaza Strip has been obstructed by the regime. Gaza continues to suffer from the catastrophic aftermath of a genocidal war launched by Tel Aviv beginning in October 2023.

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