Operation Al-Aqsa Storm hastens destruction of Zionist regime

Tehran, Qodsna - The Leader made the remarks in an address to a huge crowd of people gathering at the mausoleum of founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in southern Tehran on Monday to mark the 35th anniversary of the late Imam's passing.

Ayatollah Khamenei said Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against Israel was carried out at the right time and put the Zionist regime on a path that will lead to its destruction and elimination.

During Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, the Palestinians pushed the enemy to a corner where it had no way to escape, he noted.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, penetrating deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime, by carrying out large-scale air, land, and sea strikes.

The group said the operation was a reaction to the recurring desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Ayatollah Khamenei further stated that Imam Khomeini emphasized that the people of Palestine themselves would have to restore their own rights and force the Israeli regime to retreat.

Regarding the issue of Palestine, Imam Khomeini urged the Palestinians not to trust the so-called peace talks, he added.

The Leader noted that everything that the late Imam predicted regarding the issue of Palestine has come true.

Western analysts believe that Israel has suffered a heavy blow from the resistance groups during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and that the regime will not be able to recover from it, he emphasized.

He said Palestine has turned into the number one issue of the world as students in American universities are chanting slogans to express their support for Palestine.

‘Martyrs of Service’

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the martyrdom of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six of their companions in a helicopter crash last month and said they are “martyrs of service” as they lost their lives while serving the people.

He described “dear” President Raeisi as a hard-working and honest man who made his utmost efforts to serve the Iranian nation.

He also hailed Amir-Abdollahian as a skilled and intelligent negotiator who adhered to the principles of the Islamic Republic.

 

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the passing of President Raeisi and his entourage was a great loss and stated that Iranians created an epic by taking part in their funeral ceremonies.

Despite the president’s demise, Iranian authorities managed to maintain the country’s full tranquility and security, the Leader added.

Raeisi, Amir-Abdollahian and six others died on May 19, when their helicopter crashed in foggy weather in the mountains near the northwestern border with Azerbaijan. Their bodies were found the following day after a massive search operation.

Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the June 28 presidential election in Iran, organized after President Raeisi’s death, and said the “epic of election” will complete the epic of saying farewell to the martyrs.

The Leader, however, warned that the “election scene is the scene of dignity and epic and not a [field] of struggle to gain power.”