“Gaza has won,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said Wednesday.
His comments on social media reflect a broader type of messaging from Tehran in the wake of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which began on Sunday.
For instance, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Wednesday quoted a member of the Iranian Expediency Council as saying: “The Palestinian resistance movement emerged victorious in the Gaza war and stands ready to confront the occupying Israeli regime in due time.”
In an interview with Beirut-based Al Mayadeen, a pro-Hezbollah news channel, “Mohsen Rezaei stated that the resistance in Gaza, led by Hamas, achieved victory, enhanced by other resistance fronts in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq,” IRNA reported.
“According to the Iranian official, the war on Gaza and the developments in Lebanon and Syria were a coordinated plot by the US and the Israeli regime, with potential consequences extending into East Asia,” the report said.
War in Lebanon
“The Zionist regime believed the assassination of Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, would enable them to gain control over the Litani River,” Rezaei was quoted as saying. “However, the occupying forces have no option but to withdraw from southern Lebanon.”
He also said the “future government in Damascus must reflect the interests of all Syrian citizens,” the report said. “He expressed hope that it would effectively safeguard the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”
Regarding the Iranian nuclear deal of 2015, Rezaei was quoted as saying: “Other signatories to the agreement with Iran failed to compel US President Donald Trump to adhere to this accord, leaving Tehran skeptical of their commitment.”
These messages by the ayatollah and his subordinates serve to prop up the Iranian regime after suffering many losses to Israel over the past 15 months.