Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time in eight years.
The sermon took place amid public fury over the shooting down of a passenger airplane by the Iranian military, and escalating tensions with the United States.
#Photos#Iran’ian people from different walks of life participate in today’s Tehran Friday Prayers led by Leader Ayat. Khamenei#KhameneiFridayPrayers pic.twitter.com/NTHDBm2hMT
— Iran (@Iran) January 17, 2020
During his speech, Khamenei mocked US officials as "American clowns" and criticized France, Germany and the UK as "lackeys" of the US that can't be trusted.
What is our duty? The dear Iranian nation must become stronger. Power isn’t just military power. The country’s economy must be strengthened. Reliance on oil should stop. Scientific/technological growth should continue. The backing for all of these is the people’s presence. pic.twitter.com/eX9buhZ6g8
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 17, 2020
“These two weeks were extraordinary and eventful. Bitter and sweet events. Lessons we learned. The Iranian people went through a lot,” he said. “We delivered a slap to U.S.' image as a superpower.”
The rare sermon took place after Iran's most important general, Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq two weeks ago.
From the live broadcast of Khamenei’s anti-U.S. Friday tirade in Iran: Oops! Another example of an Iranian stepping around a U.S. flag. The Iranian regime does not represent the Iranian people. pic.twitter.com/bIxUfyQ9YF
— Len Khodorkovsky (@MessageFromLen) January 17, 2020
Following Soleimani’s killing, Iran retaliated with strikes on US targets, bringing Tehran and Washington to an escalating conflict.
Third time this week I've seen Iranian citizens overtly refuse to dishonor the U.S. & Israeli flags, defying the diktat of the murderous Ayatollah Khamenei regime. These men and women are the great hope for a Middle East of peace and tolerance. The free world must support them. https://t.co/OtmUhy6CbP
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 15, 2020
During his speech, Khamenei defended Iran while holding a gun, which many pointed out as ironic.
Khamenei delivers Friday sermons only at times of serious crisis that require his intervention.
His last such sermon was in 2012, during the Arab Spring uprisings in the region. He also spoke in 2009, during widespread protests in Iran contesting the results of a presidential election that became known as the Green Movement.
In both instances, Ayatollah Khamenei reinforced the government’s hard line by ordering people off the streets.
