Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed claims on Sunday that Tehran relies on regional proxy forces, asserting that Iran has no need for intermediaries to act decisively if required.
Speaking to visitors in Tehran, Khamenei rejected the narrative that groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis operate as extensions of Iranian power. “The Islamic Republic does not have proxy forces. Yemen fights because of faith. Hezbollah fights drawn by the power of belief. Hamas and Islamic Jihad act from conviction, not as our proxies,” he said.
This statement comes in the wake of significant challenges to Iran’s regional alliances. Over the past year, Hezbollah and Hamas faced heavy losses in conflicts with Israel, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—an essential ally in Iran’s anti-Israel axis—was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive earlier this month.
Khamenei downplayed these setbacks, predicting a resurgence in Syria, fueled by the resilience of its youth. “Syrian young men, with nothing left to lose, will rise with strength and determination against those who created their insecurity,” he stated, expressing optimism for a stronger, independent Syria.
He also lambasted the United States, accusing it of sowing chaos across the region and within Iran itself. “The Iranian nation will crush anyone who serves as America’s mercenary,” Khamenei warned, emphasizing Iran’s defiance against external interference.
For decades, Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” has united groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iraqi Shia militias in opposition to Israel and its ally, the United States. Khamenei’s remarks sought to reframe these alliances as independent movements rather than instruments of Tehran’s strategy.
The speech reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to its ideological and strategic goals, portraying its influence as rooted in shared faith and resistance rather than coercion or control.
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