Delivered Day Before Friday Prayers In Iran, How Khamenei's Post-War Speech Targets Muslim World

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Last Updated:June 26, 2025, 18:23 IST

Top sources said this is a strategic communication effort controlled by the IRGC and suggests that, despite setbacks, Iran remains resilient in its nuclear capabilities

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech targets both domestic and regional audiences, especially the Muslim world, top sources told News18.

In his first public statement after the end of the conflict between Israel and Iran, Khamenei warned the US that it will pay a “heavy price" if it attacks his country again. He said Iran has “access to key US centres" in the region.

Khamenei, who took shelter in a secret location during the 12-day war, said Iran achieved victory over Israel. Israeli forces pounded Tehran before the US intervened on its behalf.

AIMED AT ‘MOSQUE NARRATIVE’

The top sources told News18 that this is a strategic communication effort controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and suggests that, despite setbacks, Iran remains resilient in its nuclear capabilities.

The sources said the speech aims to influence the mosque narrative and shed a positive light on the leadership, as it was delivered a day before Friday prayers. Khamenei presents Iran’s survival and the ceasefire as a decisive victory over Israel, overlooking the country’s successful interception of Iranian missiles, they said.

They further said his claims are intended to bolster the domestic morale after a period of decline, positioning Iran as the regional leader of resistance against Israel. His assertion that the US intervened to prevent Israel’s complete destruction aims to amplify Iran’s perceived military threat, portraying the US as weak and reactive, they added.

BUT, WHAT IS THE OTHER SIDE?

The sources, however, said Iran’s most significant challenges are internal. The war has been marked by the loss of key elite figures during and after confrontations, they said.

They said several top commanders of the IRGC Aerospace Force, including strategic planners within the Quds Force, were reportedly killed by Israeli airstrikes or precision attacks. This includes General Razi Hemmati, the architect of Iran’s long-range missile doctrine, and Brigadier-General Parviz Bahrami, a senior commander in drone operations.

Additionally, nuclear scientist Dr Shahram Aliyari, overseeing advanced enrichment technologies, died under mysterious circumstances. These targeted eliminations have severely impacted Iran’s long-term military planning, they added.