Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a Friday sermon thatIslamic Republic had divine support andthat Iran's missile strikes on US targets in Iraq this month delivered a "slap on the face" to the United States, reported news agency Reuters.
As tension escalated between Iran and US following the killing ofQasem Soleimeni, a powerful Iranian general who was close to Khamenei,Iran launched missiles at US targets on January 8.
"The fact that Iran has the power to give such a slap to a world power shows the hand of God," Khamenei said, after referring to the launch of missiles against US targets as a "day of God".
His comments were met by chants of "Death to America!".
Khamenei led the Friday prayer after 8 years. Last time heled Friday prayers at Tehran's Mosalla mosque was in February 2012, on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic revolution and at a time of crisis over the Iran nuclear issue.