WHEN Ayatollah Ali Khamenei fell victim to American-Israeli aggression on Feb 28, the world witnessed not the death of a leader, but the birth of an eternal idea. For 36 long years, he stood as an indomitable fortress against American hegemony and Israeli expansionism, defying suffocating sanctions, relentless threats, and diplomatic isolation with unwavering resolve. The United States and Israel clearly mis-calculated, believing that eliminating Khamenei would collapse Iran and pave the way for a puppet regime.

They were deadly mistaken. His mar-tyrdom did not fracture Iran; it forged an unbreakable unity. The Iranian people, heirs to centuries of proud resistance, stood up to confront the US-Israel nexus with renewed ferocity, proving that oppression only fortifies the spirit of those who have tasted liberty.

The world witnessed history’s grandeur during his funeral. Millions of souls flooded the streets, traversing miles under the scorching sun to pay their final homage — a spontaneous outpouring of love and unyielding solidarity. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists stood in remarkable harmony. Over a hundred nations defied American pressure and sent their representatives. The thunderous chorus of ‘Marg bar America!’ (Death to America) reverberated, declaring to the world that Iran would never capitulate to coercion.

Victor Hugo’s immortal words echoed profoundly: “There is one thing stronger than all armies in the world, and that is an idea.” The US-Israel axis, for all its sophisticated weaponry and precision strikes, could not extinguish this luminous idea. The US, having recently celebrated 250 years of its independence, must confront history’s unsparing verdict.

Its military adventures, regime change operations and punitive measures against defiant nations have spawned devastation across continents. Also, it is time for the Gulf states to rethink their priorities.

Iran has proven that a dead Khamenei wields more power than a living one. His voice will continue to challenge oppression from his final abode. Washington must choose diplomacy over warmongering. People around the world cherish the dignity and liberty that the American founding fathers had proclaimed. They expect the US to deploy its resources for humanity’s uplift, not its subjugation.

Ali Khamenei endures as a living idea, and ideas that penetrate hearts never die. Imam Hussain’s message of resistance despite the passage of centuries still shines and reverberates. So too will Khamenei’s legacy illuminate generations. His blood has nourished freedom’s garden, and from that sacred soil shall bloom a just and peaceful destiny for all who struggle against oppression. His flame burns eternal — not in marble tombs, but in the hearts of the humanity towards liberation’s radiant dawn.

Qamer Soomro
Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026