Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that adherence to Islamic values and resistance against oppressive powers is the only way to make the region strong and prosperous.
“Wherever Islam has ruled the hearts of people, arrogant powers have received a slap in the face,” he said at a meeting with ambassadors of Muslim countries in Tehran, state officials and participants of an annual international conference on Islamic unity, his official website reported.
People’s “embrace of Islam” and “Islamic awakening” in West Asia have filled the United States and their lackeys in the region with fear, he added, calling on Muslim scholars to help spread the culture of resistance to oppression.
“The spread of this spirit and mentality is the only way out [of the current situation] for the region,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader criticized Muslim governments advancing US destructive policies in the region.
“Some Islamic rulers have sided with America … in Palestine and Yemen, but the Palestinians and the Yemenis will be the ultimate winners. The United States and its puppet allies will be defeated,” he said, in a clear reference to the Saudi-led military coalition of Arab states engaged in war-torn Yemen.
In his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei also commented on US and Israeli threats against Iran, saying that all their “vicious” attempts will definitely fail.
Tension has increased between Washington and Tehran since May, when US President Donald Trump reinstated sanctions after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers.
Hand of Friendship
Before the Leader’s speech, President Hassan Rouhani extended a hand of friendship to neighboring and Muslim countries and said, “Iran considers its neighbors its brothers and regards the region’s security as its own security.”
The president told the Islamic unity conference on Saturday that Muslim countries should unite against Israel and the United States, adding that Iran is ready to defend the interests of Saudi Arabia against terrorism.
Muslim governments should stand up to Washington because what it wants of the Middle East is “enslavement”, he was quoted as saying by his official website.
“We have a choice to either roll out red carpets for criminals or to forcefully stand against injustice and remain faithful to the Prophet (PBUH), Qur'an and Islam,” Rouhani said, in an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states that have close ties to the US.
He also urged Riyadh to stop receiving “insulting” military aid from Washington and offered to help the kingdom preserve its security.
Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in January 2016 after protesters stormed its diplomatic missions in Iran following its execution of a prominent Shia cleric.
“We are ready to defend the interests of the Saudi people against terrorists and superpowers with all our might just as we moved to help the people of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen,” the president said.
“In return, we won’t ask for $450 billion and won’t insult you. We will call you our brother,” he added, referring to Saudi Arabia’s contracts with the Trump administration and his unflattering comments about the kingdom.
