The Only Way to Confront Israel Is to Strike It
WANA (Sep 12) – Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader, strongly condemned Israel’s recent attack on Hamas officials in Qatar, calling it further proof of the regime’s “bloodthirsty nature.” He accused the United States of complicity in the assault, noting that Qatar’s airspace is monitored by the American Al-Udeid base.
“How could they not have known? Trump himself admitted he was upset — not because Qatar was attacked, but because the operation failed and Hamas commanders survived,” Khatami said in his Friday sermon in Tehran.
Warning to Arab States
Khatami issued a stern warning to the governments of Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, saying that if Israel is allowed to grow stronger, it will eventually target them as well.
“This criminal regime’s slogan is ‘Greater Israel.’ It wants to seize parts of Jordan and Egypt. Israel is inherently aggressive and seeks to expand its domination,” he stressed.
Call for Islamic Unity Against Israel
The cleric insisted that the right response is not appealing to the United Nations or other international bodies, but rather to concentrate Muslim power against Israel.
“The way forward is to strike the Zionist regime. At the very least, Islamic countries must cut political and commercial ties with this murderous and bloodthirsty regime,” he declared.
Iran’s Sovereignty and Regional Disputes
Turning to recent remarks from Arab foreign ministers, Khatami reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands, calling their statements “a game by America and the Zionist regime.”
“Do you feel no shame? Israel speaks openly of a Greater Israel that includes your lands, yet you invent imaginary enemies and claim Iran wants to take your territory? Iran is no enemy of its neighbors, but it will never give up an inch of its soil,” he said.
Hezbollah and Lebanon
Regarding Lebanon, Khatami rejected any proposal to disarm Hezbollah, warning that it would endanger not just Lebanon but the entire Islamic world.
“Israel is sharpening its teeth — who but Hezbollah can break them? The Lebanese government is gravely mistaken. Hezbollah is your strong arm; you must use it,” he asserted.
Domestic Remarks: Cyberspace and Religion
In part of his sermon, Khatami also warned about foreign influence over cyberspace, claiming that “the key to cyberspace lies in the hands of America and foreigners.”
He urged Iranians not to follow their lead, which he described as “estrangement from God,” and instead to “follow the path connected to God.”
He also emphasized that religion remains a pillar of power in Iran, rejecting claims that it has weakened. He highlighted mass participation of Iranians in religious rituals, including over 3 million pilgrims in the Arbaeen march and around 1 million, mostly youth, in iʿtikāf gatherings, as proof of religion’s enduring strength in society.
An image of the blast site in Qatar. Social media / WANA News Agency
