Mohammadi Golpayegani: The Crusades Have Not Ended

The head of the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic states that opposing the Islamic Republic is 'rebellion', the Crusades have not yet come to an 'end', and Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon leads to the group's 'continuous victories'. According to a report on Thursday, August 17, by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani made these remarks on Wednesday evening at the 'Brilliant Diamonds' congress in Tehran's Art House, and then, alluding to Saudi Arabia, referred to them as 'traitors and usurpers of the two holy shrines', adding that Saudi Arabia is in a 'bad situation' due to its monarchical system. He also stated that unlike some non-democratic regimes in the region that are based on coups, the Islamic Republic is 'derived from the people's votes, and 99 percent of the people have voted positively for this system.' For this reason, Golpayegani considered any opposition to the 'popular and legitimate system' of the Islamic Republic and 'standing against it' as 'rebellion'. The head of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office further described 'keeping promises' as one of the 'most prominent characteristics' of the Islamic Republic, asserting that Iran's support for the Palestinian intifada and Hezbollah in Lebanon is a sign of this characteristic. According to Jam-e Jam Online from this event, he added, 'This is the same Hezbollah that Israel wanted to destroy in the 33-day war... Who has brought Hezbollah to this point to have continuous victories? The answer is clear.' Iranian officials have repeatedly stated publicly that they support Hezbollah in Lebanon. Recently, Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of this party, explicitly stated that all of Hezbollah's expenses are covered by Iran. In a public speech, Nasrallah said, 'Our budget is transparent. Its revenues, expenses, everything consumed, its missiles and rockets are all received from Iran... As long as Iran has money, we have money.' His unprecedented remarks about receiving all expenses from Iran came after the freezing of bank accounts related to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Golpayegani also referred to what he called the 'enmity' of the West towards Iran, stating that 'the Crusade has not ended.' The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Muslims and Christians over the possession of holy lands, which resulted in much bloodshed due to their extensive duration. The head of Khamenei's office compared the West's opposition to Iran with the enmity of Christians towards Muslims, adding, 'America and the ruling criminals do not fear our nuclear issue and know that we are not seeking to build a nuclear bomb... They have an issue with the foundation of the Islamic Republic.' Golpayegani attributed this 'enmity' to Iran becoming a 'model' for other countries, claiming that they 'cannot bear to see the Iranian nation living in complete security and peace alongside the chaotic countries of the region.' The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated that resolving Iran's nuclear issue with the West will not lead to the end of their 'enmity' towards the Islamic Republic, and they will continue to pressure Tehran by raising other issues, including human rights.