Backing down from retaliating against Israel would invite ‘divine wrath’: Iran supreme leader Khamenei
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday (August 14) condemned Israel for its "psychological warfare" aimed at forcing Tehran to reconsider retaliation for the assassination of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the country.
Retreat will invite ‘divine wrath’
Slamming the "enemy psychological warfare," Iran's supreme leader Khamenei stressed that any "non-tactical retreat — be it military, political, or economic — invites 'divine wrath', as per the Holy Quran".
Khamenei's statement comes just weeks after Hamas leader Haniyeh was killed by a strike in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination and soon after the killing, the Supreme leader Khamenei issued an order to strike Israel.
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Khamenei, in a public statement on July 31 — the day of the assassination — proclaimed "we see avenging his blood our duty," as the assassinationhappened on Iran's territory.
In his recent statement, Khamenei said, "Governments that yield to the demands of today's dominant powers, regardless of the size or strength of the nations they represent, could defy these pressures if they draw on the strength of their people and accurately assess their adversaries' true, unembellished capabilities," Khamenei said.
As per Iran International, he also criticised the longstanding habit of "exaggerating" enemy capabilities to instil fear as he pointed to what he described as US, British, and Israeli efforts since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.
When will Iran attack Israel?
Iran has been biding its time to retaliate against Israel. The nation has been leveraging psychological tactics, building suspense on when the retaliation might happen. Twice already, the US has given its estimate on when the strike may happen.
Iran contends that it has the "legal right" to respond to the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
"No one has the right to doubt Iran's legal right to punish the Zionist regime," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani had said during a regular news conference, in obvious reference to Israel.
However, even as he asserted Iran's right to retaliate, Nasser Kanani emphasised that Iran "does not seek to aggravate tensions in the region," which have been on the rise since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in early October and escalated further following the fatal attack on Haniyeh in Tehran.
(With inputs from agencies)
