The new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a series of bellicose statements against the Jewish state, reaffirming the ideological hostility of the Tehran regime. The harsh exchange of words comes at a paradoxical moment, when American and Iranian diplomats are trying to make progress in negotiations to end the conflict.
The message of the new leader, broadcast Tuesday morning by the state television in Tehran, reiterates the traditional slogans of the Islamic order, “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”, reminiscent of a similar statement made a decade ago by his father, the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Beyond the aggressive rhetoric addressed to the hard core of the regime, the statements come in a context where Mojtaba Khamenei would have authorized, behind the scenes, the continuation of diplomatic discussions with the administration led by Donald Trump.
The new Supreme Leader has not appeared in public since taking office, after his father was killed in an airstrike in Tehran, at the beginning of the recent military campaign conducted by the USA and Israel. Despite constant speculation about his health and rumors that he may have been injured in the conflict, the new leader is trying to demonstrate that he has control over the country’s ideological and military apparatus.
“The region will not return to the conditions of the past, and Washington will no longer have a safe place to maintain its military bases in the area”, conveyed Mojtaba Khamenei, emphasizing that anti-Western slogans will remain fundamental for the Islamic youth.
The Dilemma of the Revolutionary Guards Corps: Between Adherence to the Agreement and the Feeling of Betrayal
The major challenge for the stability of a potential peace agreement is the reaction of the hardline faction in Iran, especially the over 120,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militias. For these fighters, a compromise with Washington – considered responsible for the death of the former leader – is extremely difficult to accept.
A member of the Basij paramilitary forces in Tehran, Hamidreza AhmadAbadi, explained to The Jewish Chronicle (JC) publication that the losses suffered by the regime are seen more as a source of historical legitimacy rather than a military defeat.
“We will honor the negotiations. But the feeling of betrayal will never heal. Remember what we are capable of doing within the country, in the Strait of Hormuz, and all over the world. Of course, we will respect the agreement,” he nuanced, highlighting the volatile nature of regional stability.
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