Khamenei's theatrical speech on Friday, 10/4/2024, in Tehran, amid tight security measures—though the IRGC thugs who ordered the missile attack on Israel were notably absent—offered nothing new, just the same repetitive and meaningless rhetoric.
His speech was mostly directed at the Arab countries and the regime's transnational terrorist network, perhaps in an attempt to boost their morale. His audience was not the Iranian people but rather the so-called "Islamic Ummah," which seems to exist nowhere in the real world.
Although his remarks were from a position of weakness, lacking any logic or rationality, he deluded himself into sounding powerful. He attempted to downplay Israel's strikes on Islamic terrorism while stubbornly defending the IRGC and Quds Force, ignoring the fact that Hamas and Hezbollah have been decimated, with the Houthis and the Popular Mobilization Forces following the same path.
Khamenei's speech made it clear that he has no intention of retreating from his path of domestic oppression and regional warmongering. He wants to meddle in Arab world affairs under the guise of Islam, seeking to intrude on the security of Arab and Islamic countries in the Middle East and North Africa. He dreams of reshaping the region with his "Shia Crescent," a vision that is utterly unattainable. Among the Arab countries, particularly in the Persian Gulf, he holds no credibility.
Aside from Qatar, (which sides with Tehran due to the Muslim Brotherhood), Hamas, and Islamic terrorism, no Arab country has any affection for this lunatic dictator.
One striking observation was that Khamenei did not address the Iranian people at all. This cruel and bloodthirsty dictator knows he has no legitimacy or popularity among the people of Iran. The people despise the so-called Islamic Ummah and Islamic Resistance (Islamic terrorism and Islamic Jihad).
In the eyes of most of the Iranian people, Khamenei is a lunatic and anti-Iranian dictator who has taken the entire country hostage, dragging Iran into the abyss of destruction until the day his religious tyranny collapses. The people in Iran ask, why is war necessary? What do Hezbollah, Hamas, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Houthis have to do with us Iranians?
But for Khamenei, the lives and opinions of the Iranian people have never mattered. Even as missiles were being fired, planes continued to fly over Iran's skies.
In his speech, Khamenei spewed lies, but it became clear to the world that beyond his empty boasts, he defended Hamas's crimes. It is now evident that he was the instigator and mastermind behind the October 7th atrocity. Today, he officially declared that every blow against Israel is a service to humanity. Sadly, this nonsensical and meaningless rhetoric was even broadcast by BBC Persian and BBC English.
In the end, it must be said that the command of evil in the Middle East lies in Khamenei's hands. As the people of Iran hope, may Khamenei be Israel’s next target. With his elimination, the world will one day celebrate a joyful occasion in contemporary history. He is a stooge, harmful to humanity—a deadly virus.
Moreover, what we are witnessing in the Middle East is perhaps the most significant counterterrorism campaign of the 21st century—a defining moment in history. In this effort, Israel has neutralized more terrorists from the U.S. most-wanted list than the U.S. has since 9/11, specifically targeting key Islamic terrorists.
The free world should recognize with gratitude the unwavering resolve of the Mossad, the IDF, and the determined leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. I hope Israel continues by dismantling the transnational terrorist network of the mullahs' regime in Iran.
Erfan Fardis a counter-terrorism analyst and Middle East Studies researcher based in Washington, DC. an expert in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran, Counter terrorism, IRGC, MOIS and Ethnic conflicts in MENA. He graduated in International Security Studies (London M. University, UK), and in International Relations (CSU-LA). He is fluent in Persian, Kurdish, Arabic and English. Follow him in this twitter account @EQFARD