Iran’s Supreme Leader Begins Rare Friday Prayer Sermon for Slain Hezbollah Chief

Iran’s Supreme Leader Begins Rare Friday Prayer Sermon for Slain Hezbollah Chief

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set to lead Friday prayers and deliver a public sermon at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran. This rare sermon comes three days before the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, triggered by the Iran-backed Palestinian group’s October 7 attack.

The sermon follows a commemoration ceremony for Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of Tehran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who answer to Khamenei, said the missile attack on Israel was in retaliation for the killing of Nasrallah and other leaders.

Khamenei last led Friday prayers in January 2020 after Iran fired missiles at a US army base in Iraq. The current sermon is a significant event, as it marks a first in almost five years. The Islamic republic has warned of “crushing attacks” on Israel if it retaliates and has also threatened a harsh response if the US intervenes.