Khamenei Hails Global Anti-Israel Rhetoric in Meet With Hamas Leader

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has once again hailed the spread of anti-Israel sentiment at protests worldwide in a meeting with the leader of Hamas.

Khamenei even applauded the chanting of “Death to Israel” in Persian at a rally in Japan as the wave of antisemitism globally reaches record highs.

Khamenei's remarks in a Wednesday meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, have stirred controversy as he portrayed such demonstrations as a divine victory for Palestine, heralding them as the precursor to the "eradication of the Zionist regime."

Khamenei confirmed that Iran's foreign policy towards Palestine would remain consistent, stating that Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who stepped in following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, would adhere to Raisi’s strategies.

The declaration coincides with Iran intensifying its focus on pro-Palestinian student protests in the US and Europe, leveraging the events to boost Iran’s international image amid growing internal dissatisfaction.

The recent upsurge in student-led protests in the US, fueled by backlash against Israeli military actions in Gaza, has seen students demanding their universities divest from Israeli-linked corporations. The movement has been indirectly lauded by Iran, which seeks to weaken US-Israel relations.

However, the Iranian government's external posturing contrasts sharply with its internal crackdowns, particularly against students and activists within its own borders. The regime's harsh responses to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, has led to widespread arrests and expulsions of students, highlighting a stark hypocrisy in its stance on human rights and freedom of expression.