On Wednesday, July 16, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a pointed critique of the United States and Israel, commending the struggle against Washington and what he referred to as its “dog on a leash” Israel as “commendable.”
He accused Israel of initiating last month’s 12-day conflict with the overarching goal of undermining Iran’s government and provoking unrest to topple the Islamic Republic.
Khamenei stated in a message published on his website, as reported by AFP, that “the calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centres in Iran.”
He further asserted that the assaults were designed to incite “unrest and bring people into the streets to overthrow the system.”
Khamenei cautioned that the aggressors “would have to adjust their position before they are completely eradicated.”
These comments arise amidst rising regional tensions and increasing apprehensions in Iran regarding threats from the US and Israel.
On June 13, Israel initiated an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, which resulted in the targeting and killing of high-ranking military leaders and nuclear scientists. Iranian officials reported that the assaults resulted in over 1,000 fatalities in Iran. The strikes led to a 12-day conflict, during which Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes that, according to Israeli sources, resulted in 28 deaths in Israel.
The offensive commenced just two days prior to the scheduled sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, which had begun on April 12.
Since the conflict, those discussions have not resumed.
Tehran has reaffirmed its readiness to engage in diplomatic talks, but only if Washington guarantees that it will refrain from military action against the Islamic Republic.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Parliament announced that no negotiations would occur until certain unspecified “preconditions” are fulfilled. In his statement, Khamenei urged that Iran’s diplomatic and military initiatives should proceed with “care and precision,” although he did not provide additional specifics regarding the strategy.
