Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged to continue supporting resistance movements against the United States and Israel in a letter Hezbollah Sheikh Naeem Qasim also expressed condolences for the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.In a formal letter, Khamenei thanked Qasim for his sympathy for Ali Khamenei’s “martyrdom” in a US-Israeli airstrike in Tehran on February 28. He noted the “emotions of love and loyalty” expressed by Hezbollah fighters, adding that these sentiments were conveyed “on their own behalf” and reflected a commitment to the resistance movement.Khamenei said the late leader’s firmness in the face of “the most ferocious enemies of the Islamic world, namely the United States and the Zionist entity,” was a distinguishing characteristic of the late leader. He added that the continuation of the path of resistance and its sacrifices proved “the authenticity of this approach.”In a speech to Qasim, Khamenei said he led Hezbollah at “a critical moment in the history of resistance” and expressed confidence that his “wisdom, ingenuity and courage will be able to thwart and crush the plots of the Zionist enemies and restore the pride and prosperity of the Lebanese people.”Iranian media including the Fars news agency reported the news, reaffirming Tehran’s support for regional resistance groups amid rising tensions with the United States and Israel.Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader by a conference of Iranian experts on March 8, also praised Hezbollah’s leadership and fighters for their “fight, bravery and sacrifice”, strengthening Iran’s long-standing alliance with the group.Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it used ballistic missiles to attack an Israeli-linked container ship in the Persian Gulf, part of a new wave of attacks targeting U.S. and Israeli interests. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also issued a warning against companies accused of engaging in “terrorist espionage,” naming major U.S. technology companies and urging evacuations around such sites.The force also claimed it carried out drone strikes on “vital and strategic” communications, telecommunications and industrial centers affiliated with the Israeli military.Meanwhile, Iran executed two “armed terrorists” linked to the People’s Mujahideen for their alleged involvement in Tehran’s operations aimed at destabilizing the government.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi dismissed reports that Iran had fired missiles at Türkiye, calling them “completely baseless.”
