Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei affirmed that Iran and its regional allies will not concede to Israel and called for unity among Muslim nations as he led Friday prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosque, international media reported.
This was his first public appearance since Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, in retaliation for killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, along with leaders from Hamas and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Al Jazeera.
He asserted that the operations are a response to “heinous” criminal activities perpetrated by a “bloodthirsty criminal entity.”
The supreme leader said that Hezbollah intends to avoid rush decisions in response to Israel’s attacks. “We will not act irrationally or impulsively,” he said, adding that the country would follow decisions “handed down by our political and military leadership.”
An Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut killed Lebanese rescue workers on Friday, with another attack occurring in the southern town of Marjayoun near its main hospital.
Hospital director Mounes Klakesh stated that medical staff have decided to temporarily evacuate the facility. Israel has alleged that militants are hiding among civilians, a claim that Hezbollah has denied, Reuters reported.