Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has denounced a recent Saudi-led campaign against Hezbollah, praising the Lebanese movement as a source of pride for Muslims.
The Leader's remarks on Wednesday came after the Arab Parliament followed the Arab League and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in designing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
“Let’s suppose a corrupt, sycophantic, hollow regime condemns Hezbollah in a statement with money and petrodollars; to hell with it! How much does it matter?" Ayatollah Khamenei told a group of students in Tehran.
“Hezbollah and its youths are shining as the Sun and are a source of honor for the world of Islam,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.
Saudi Arabia has been leading the campaign against Hezbollah which is credited with driving Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon and defeating them in subsequent wars.
Relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have been plunged into crisis since Riyadh halted $3 billion in aid to the Lebanese army. Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Persian Gulf have also advised citizens against travel to Beirut.
In his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei also warned against any submission to new Western demands about Iran’s missile defense program and other technologies.
“If we show any leniency toward them, they will begin playing games with biotech, nanotech and scientific issues and make problems,” the Leader said.
Iran reached a nuclear agreement in July to have a raft of sanctions lifted but the country has come under new pressures from the US and its allies over its missile defense program since then.
"One of the most basic motivations which have prompted arrogant powers to square up against us is that a country, without relying on any power, has managed to reach the extraordinarily sensitive nuclear stage," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader warned of "a covert soft war" being waged by the US against Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei said the US is trying to make Iranian youths lose trust in their officials and embrace the country's enemies instead.
"The US would like the Iranian youth to lack courage, motivation, hope, activeness, physical and mental capability," the Leader said.