Iran’s supreme leader praised the recent missile strike on Israel and issued a blunt warning: “It will be done in the future again if it becomes necessary.”

As Israel continued relentless attacks against Iran’s proxy forces in the Middle East, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used a sermon in Tehran to express solidarity with Palestinians and Hezbollah.

He urged Arab and Muslim countries to unite against what he described as a common enemy.

Khamenei told the large crowd there would be further strikes if necessary, saying: “We’ll neither hesitate nor rush in fulfilling our duties.”

There was a commemoration ceremony for the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah beforehand. Most high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Revolutionary Guard’s top generals, attended the ceremony.

Iran is Hezbollah’s main backer and has sent weapons and billions of dollars to the group over the years.

Also on Friday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beirut, where he was expected to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah with Lebanese officials.

with wires