Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei sent a strongly worded message to the United States, saying that the “myth of an invincible America” had ended and that Washington “wants to dismantle our country and destroy our civilization.” Published on his website on Wednesday, the written message marked Iran's National Day Against Global Arrogance, observed on November 4 each year to commemorate the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Khamenei, who assumed the position of supreme leader last March, said Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz had shattered the image of an undefeatable American power. He added that “every day and every hour” had become a time to resist the “Great Satan.”
“Those betting on elections are mistaken”
The message coincided with the announcement of the results of the U.S. midterm elections, in which Republicans lost control of Congress. But Khamenei warned that those who still placed “the slightest hope” in a change in U.S. policy resulting from a shift in the ruling party were “gravely mistaken,” saying Washington's hostility toward Iran remained unchanged whoever was in power.
He said anyone who believed that “by making concessions to America, they can bend it” was deluded. He added that “the Great Satan's wish is for the Iranian nation to surrender unconditionally,” and that any retreat before Washington would bring only new demands and new wars.
Hormuz and U.S. bases
The Iranian supreme leader presented Tehran's control of the Strait of Hormuz and the elimination of U.S. military bases in countries across the region as a response to U.S. “aggressions and crimes” during the war that began last February. He warned that the confrontation “will take on much broader dimensions” if attacks on Iran are repeated. An Al Jazeera correspondent described the message's tone as “cautious” compared with celebratory statements made by other Iranian officials after the U.S. election results.
Qaani: Written commitment to confront the enemy “without limits”
That same day, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani said that the “men of the resistance front” had declared in writing their “full commitment” to Khamenei's call for confrontation with the enemy “without limits.” He said the commanders had “received the message at the highest level and turned it into action on the ground.” Qaani's statement was published on a Persian-language card dated 13 Aban 1405 according to the Iranian calendar.
Tehran celebrates Republicans' loss
In other Iranian reactions, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote that Americans had “said no to war,” warning that if the U.S. government betrayed the will of its people, “it will learn that our no comes with a nightmare.” Khamenei adviser Mohammad Mokhber said Trump had “received a slap from his own people,” while Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said Trump had been “defeated in both war and politics.” Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran may have harmed Republicans, saying voters had not been prepared to bear the cost of “paying more for gasoline.”
Images: Wikimedia Commons (khamenei.ir), Iran's “War Message” Center
