Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is slated to attend the upcoming summit of Islamic and Arab leaders, which will convene next week in Doha, Qatar. The gathering is expected to center on Israel's recent strike in the city, an operation aimed at senior Hamas figures.
During Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami issued a warning to the governments of Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, cautioning that Israel could launch further assaults if it gains additional backing or consolidates its influence in the area. He declared that the only effective way to confront Israel is "through force, not through diplomacy."
Khatami accused Israel of advancing a strategy designed to create a "Greater Israel" extending from the Nile to the Euphrates, alleging that its ambitions include parts of Egypt and Jordan. He added, "The nature of the Zionist entity is bloodshed, and it was born 80 years ago in bloodshed."
In the same sermon, Khatami charged the United States with complicity in Israel's strike in Doha. He urged Arab nations to cut both political and economic relations with Israel, invoking the teachings of Islamic clerics, particularly Imam Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic's founder.
Turning to Lebanon, Khatami spoke against efforts to strip Hezbollah of its weapons, calling such attempts "extremely dangerous" for Lebanon and for the entire Muslim world. He insisted that Hezbollah represents the "strong arm" of Lebanon and urged Beirut's leadership not to undermine the group.