Khamenei says US behind Israeli military escalation

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused the United States of backing Israel's ramp up of bombings and air strikes in Lebanon, rejecting Washington’s repeated assertions that it had no prior knowledge of attacks against Iran and its regional allies.

“In this battle, the (Israeli) enemy is equipped with the most advanced resources, and the United States stands behind it,” Khamenei said Wednesday, in his first substantive reaction since Israel began days of crushing attacks against Hezbollah that have killed hundreds and injured thousands.

“The US claim that it’s unaware of Israel's actions and not involved in the matter is untrue.”

The US government has sought to distance itself from several unclaimed attacks against Iran and its allied armed groups in recent months which were almost certainly Israeli operations.

It did so after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on 31 July, and when Hezbollah’s pagers and other communication devices exploded last week, maiming and blinding hundreds of Hezbollah members and many civilians.

Khamenei’s accusation against the Joe Biden administration comes as Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian ends his three-day US trip following his debut address to the UN General Assembly, in which he tried to strike a less hostile tone towards the West.

On Wednesday, Pezeshkian said in an interview with Al Jazeera that his administration is open to talks with those involved in the 2015 nuclear deal, but added that the US was not showing sufficient good will to restart talks.

“We have no issue with dialogue with the United States, but it has not fulfilled its commitments," Al Jazeera quoted Pezeshkian saying Wednesday.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon accused Iran’s new president of deceiving the world with his UN speech. “(Pezeshkian) is lying and unfortunately some people are buying it," he told Iran International on Wednesday.

Under Iran's theocratic system, Khamenei has the final say over matters of foreign policy, especially over relations with the United States. The Supreme Leader, who has ruled over Iran for 35 years, has championed confronting the American “Great Satan” and has led Iran toward ever-closer ties with Russia.

In his speech Wednesday, Khamenei dismissed critics inside the country who claim Iran under his leadership has become isolated from the world, emphasizing its connections with countries representing half of the global population.

“Some from within say that the Islamic Republic is at odds with the world, that it’s not on speaking terms with the world. This is untrue. Today, we are in contact and interact with countries where half of the world's population lives,” Khamenei said, in what appears to be a reference to Iran’s good relations with China and Russia.

But in a sign of persistent Western objections to Iranian policy, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday condemned the recent transfer of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to Russia, calling it a substantial escalation following the provision of Iranian drones used in Ukraine.