Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered his first public sermon in five years on Friday, declaring that the Islamic Republic’s missile strikes on Israel were “legal” and characterizing Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 of the previous year as “legitimate.” Speaking during Friday prayers, Khamenei emphasized that the Quran instructs Muslims to stand in solidarity with one another. “If you have this solidarity, God’s honor is yours, and you will be victorious over your enemies,” he stated, as reported by the IRNA news agency.“The operation of our armed forces a few nights ago was totally legal and legitimate,” he said. Iran will “not delay nor rush to respond to Israel,” the supreme leader said.Khamenei also issued a warning that Iran would target “occupied Palestine,” referring to Israel, if provoked. He emphasized Iran’s right to self-defense and stated that it would respond to any attacks from the Jewish state. Additionally, he expressed support for Hezbollah’s efforts to confront Israel, asserting that Iran and its allies would collectively overcome their “enemies.”Khamenei last presided over Friday prayers in January 2020, shortly after Iran launched missiles at a U.S. army base in Iraq in response to the killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani.During the sermon, thousands of worshippers gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosque, where a large poster of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was displayed. Attendees waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Hezbollah, with many holding posters of both Nasrallah and Soleimani, according to CNN.Earlier this week, Khamenei ordered a missile strike on Israel in response to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Iranian assault involved nearly 200 ballistic missiles and was characterized as retaliation for the deaths of Nasrallah and other key figures associated with Iran. Although the strike caused significant damage in Israel, only one fatality—a Palestinian man in the West Bank—was confirmed.