Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared that Iran and other Muslim nations must resist the “wickedness of Western powers” and their meddling in the region in a speech delivered during the holy period of Hajj.
Khamenei launched many inflammatory statements directed at Western countries and called on all Muslim nations to combat adverse interference in the region. “Today, our nations, our youth, our scientists, our religious scholars, our civic intellectuals, our politicians, our political parties and our people must make up for that dishonorable, embarrassing past. They must stand firm and ‘resist’ the aggression, interference and wickedness of Western powers,” Khamenei announced during his annual message marking Hajj – a religious pilgrimage Muslims aim to undertake at least once during their lives.
The leader added that this resistance must be delivered “in the face of the interference and evil of America and other transgressing countries,” referring to the West as aggressors that must be prevented from meddling “in the affairs of Islamic countries.”
Khamenei also took hits at the US’ 20-year involvement in Afghanistan, which is drawing to a close this summer, saying that American troops were “humiliated” there and that they waged war against defenseless people.
In the latest spat between the US and Iran, the two nations have been embroiled in an argument surrounding the alleged attempted kidnapping of a journalist on New York soil – Masih Alinejad. Whilst a New York court convicted four Iranian men of plotting to abduct the journalist, Tehran has rebuked all evidence, dismissing New York’s findings as “so baseless and ridiculous” and “Hollywood”-esque.
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