Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei blames ‘joint American-Zionist plot’ for overthrow of Assad

Khamenei refuses to directly condemn Turkey by name in Assad's downfall

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to a crowd of thousands at the Imam Khomeini Husseiniya in the capital Tehran on Wednesday morning, stating that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria was the result of a “joint American-Zionist plot.”

“There should be no doubt that what has happened in Syria is the result of a joint American and Zionist plan,” Khamenei told those gathered for his speech.

Khamenei also criticized Turkey for its role in the collapse of the Assad regime, but the Iranian leader did so without explicitly mentioning the country by name before resuming his accusations against Israel and the United States.

“Yes, a neighboring state to Syria has played a clear role in this matter and has been playing that role, and continues to do so now – this is something everyone can see,” Khamenei remarked. “But the main plotter, the mastermind, and the command center for this scheme are in the United States and the Zionist regime. We have evidence, and this evidence leaves no room for doubt.”

The Iranian religious leader also sought to assure his listeners that the recent setbacks in the region did not weaken the country.

“The ignorant analyst, who has no understanding of the meaning of resistance, believes that when the resistance weakens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will weaken as well,” he stated. “I tell you, by God's will, Iran is strong, powerful, and it will become even stronger.”

Khamenei stated that American interests in the region would be thwarted.

“The United States is trying to cement its foothold in the region. These are their objectives, and time will show, God willing, that none of them will achieve these goals,” he claimed. “By God's will and divine power, the United States will also be expelled from the region by the resistance front.”

Khamenei’s comments appear to be aimed at quelling the growing internal backbiting and accusations that were reported by several sources over the past few days.

Reports out of Iran on Sunday and Monday indicated that various government officials have been engaged in a round of finger-pointing, each trying to blame the other for the sudden collapse of Iran’s primary ally in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei even claimed that Hezbollah had inflicted such a “severe blow” that, after the assassination of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah Israel was “forced to accept the ceasefire.”

Khamenei's reluctance to criticize Turkey by name is noteworthy, suggesting that Iranian leaders still prioritize their developing relationship with Turkey despite the significant loss of their ally, deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey has been pursuing closer relations with both Iran and Russia over the last few years, which many Bible scholars consider to be a prophetically significant development related to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38.