Khamenei has reportedly been sheltering underground since Israel escalated its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of its new northern offensive.
Kasra Aarabi, the director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, said that Khamenei’s sermon was delivered for propaganda purposes.
“The ayatollah needs to show a small but radical Islamist constituency that he’s not hiding in a bunker” and “fool the outside world by making it believe he’s popular at home”, he said. “He’s lying on both accounts.”
After glorifying Tuesday’s 180-strong missile barrage on Israel, Khamenei said that Iran had “settled accounts” with Israel for the killing of Nasrallah and its suspected assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
He referred to it as the “least punishment” that Israel deserved. “The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate,” he added.
Following the prayers, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, pledged to target Israel’s energy and gas facilities if it strikes back.
If [Israel] makes a mistake, we will target all their energy sources, stations and all refineries and gas fields,” said Brig Gen Ali Fadavi, claiming they could be hit “at the same time”.