Iran’s Khamenei says ‘resistance’ not over after Assad ouster

Published
0

Iran’s supreme leader has said that Israel and the United States were “completely wrong” to imagine the Axis of Resistance had collapsed with the ouster of Syria’s longtime strongman.

“With the developments in Syria and the crimes the Zionist regime is committing and the crimes that America is committing, and the help that some others are giving to them, they thought that the resistance was over,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech.

“They are completely wrong.”

Since the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Iran has sought to distance itself from the ousted leader, instead emphasising the history of friendship between the two countries. Khamenei has also insisted that Assad’s overthrow will not weaken Iran.

“The Zionist regime imagines it can encircle and eradicate the Hezbollah forces through Syria, but the one who will be eradicated is Israel,” Khamenei said yesterday.

 A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Dec 17, 2024 shows the Iranian supreme leader greeting Iranians ahead of a speech in Tehran. — Khamenei.ir via AFP
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Dec 17, 2024 shows the Iranian supreme leader greeting Iranians ahead of a speech in Tehran. — Khamenei.ir via AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...