Above photo: khamenei.ir.
Predicts Liberation.
Ayatollah Khamenei accused the US and Israel of driving Syria’s crisis while expressing hope that Syrian youth will liberate all occupied territories and strengthen resistance against imperialism in the region
The US and Israel bear joint responsibility for the current situation in Syria, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said during a public event in Tehran on Wednesday, December 11. This was the first time Khamenei addressed the topic following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government and the establishment of a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-backed administration in Syria.
While acknowledging Turkey’s role in supporting HTS, a designated terrorist organization that seized power after President Assad left the country on Sunday, Khamenei said that “the main conspirator, the main planner and the command centre lie in America and the Zionist regime,” IRNA reported.
Khamenei also questioned attempts to obscure US and Israeli involvement in HTS’s rapid rise to power. He pointed out the repeated military strikes carried out by both countries inside Syria, targeting its military and political infrastructure. “If they were not the architects of the events in Syria, why did they not remain silent like other countries? By bombing hundreds of infrastructure centers, airports, research centers, training centers for scientists, and other locations in Syria, they have practically interfered in the ongoing events,” Khamenei stated.
The US and Israel have both consistently conducted airstrikes targeting critical military and civilian infrastructure in Syria over the past several years. In addition, the US and its European allies have imposed strict sanctions on the country. These bombings and sanctions have basically wiped out the Syrian government’s capacity to resist the onslaught of opposition forces or govern effectively.
Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that US and Israeli airstrikes increased dramatically following HTS’s offensive in late November. These attacks, he argued, not only targeted Syrian armed forces but also disrupted aid supplies from regional resistance groups to Assad’s government.
The Iranian leader questioned the US’s silence on Israel’s invasion into Syria following the fall of the Assad government. He emphasized that while the US “exhibits extraordinary sensitivity to even the most minor border incidents in other countries, it [the US] not only refrained from protesting but also offered assistance” to Israel, actively supporting its new territorial occupations within Syria.
Israel, which has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1973, advanced further into southern Syria after Assad’s departure, seizing new territories beyond Mount Hermon without facing resistance. The US has defended these actions, framing them as moves made in “self-defense.”
On Wednesday, Iran called for greater regional unity to counter Israel’s invasion in Syria, criticizing the United Nations for failing to uphold the territorial integrity of its member states due to US interference.
Resistance Against Imperialism Will Grow Stronger
Khamenei warned the “arrogant powers” who mistakenly believe that the fall of the “pro-Resistance” government in Syria signifies a weakening of the “Resistance Front.” He argued that this misconception stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the “nature of Resistance and Resistance Front.”
Describing resistance as both a distinct ideology and a profound faith, Khamenei asserted that it gains strength under greater pressure and expands when challenged. He cited Hezbollah and Gaza as examples, claiming that in both cases, Israel has faced increasingly resilient opposition after its repressive actions, including the killing of over 50,000 people in the Gaza Strip.
Khamenei pointed to the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, noting that it did not dismantle Hezbollah. Instead, the resistance group emerged stronger, compelling the enemy to agree to a ceasefire. Similarly, he highlighted that despite enduring over a year of death and destruction, the people of Gaza continue to support Hamas and other resistance forces.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the escalating oppression of the Palestinian people has only strengthened their steadfastness and bolstered the cause, making it more robust now than at any point in the 75-year history of the occupation.
Defending Iran’s support for Assad and his government, Khamenei stated that this backing is rooted in a long-standing history of cooperation between the two countries, as well as their shared commitments to combating Zionism and the terrorism of ISIS (Daesh) forces. He further acknowledged that while Iran or other external forces could have supported Syrian troops in their war against HTS, this would only have been feasible if the Syrian forces themselves were in a position to lead the fight.
Khamenei expressed hope that all “occupied territories in Syria will be liberated by the brave Syrian youth” and that “the US will also be expelled from the region by the Resistance Front” in the future.
He highlighted the ongoing US occupation of parts of eastern Syria, where it has established a military base and provides military backing to certain groups. Khamenei reiterated Iran’s opposition to US military presence in various countries in the region, including Iraq, and renewed the call for their withdrawal.