Khamenei Calls American Students Part of the 'Resistance Front'

The leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, in a letter to American students opposing the war in Gaza, referred to them as part of the 'Resistance Front'. This letter was published following widespread student protests at various universities in the United States, calling on the Biden administration to sever financial ties with Israel and to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza. Although protests have also occurred at several universities in European countries, including France and the UK, Khamenei specifically addressed only American students in his letter. He told these 'dear student youth in the United States!' that 'you are now standing on the right side of history, which is being turned.' Khamenei claimed that 'the situation is changing. A different fate awaits the sensitive region of West Asia... the Resistance Front has become stronger and will continue to strengthen.' The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to its affiliated militia groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen as the 'Axis of Resistance', which attacks the goals and positions of the US and Israel in the region. Khamenei further advised American youth to become 'familiar' with the Quran, the religious book of Muslims, adding that 'the lesson of the Quran regarding human relations is: do not oppress and do not submit to oppression.' The student protests in the US, which began after Israel's attack on Gaza and the worsening conditions for civilians in the region, have been intense for weeks. The Gaza war started after the extremist group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage, transferring them to Gaza. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. President Joe Biden emphasized 'the right to free speech' while also urging against 'violence and hate speech' in the United States during the peak of the student protests. These protests began at Columbia University and spread to institutions such as Harvard, the University of California, Texas, Michigan, and many universities across the US. According to reports, over two thousand people were arrested during these protests.