Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Seyyed Hassan Ameli, delivering this week's Friday prayer sermons at the Ardabil Prayer Ground, stated: "America has completely lost its prestige in this war. It is now pursuing two objectives: restoring its reputation and opening the Strait of Hormuz. Through its attacks in the south, it sought to occupy parts of southern and western Iran to manufacture an achievement for itself, thereby dragging Iran to the negotiating table and extracting concessions regarding the Strait of Hormuz."
He continued: "The targeting of bridges and transit routes was a deception operation designed to draw our forces in that direction so that they could enter Iranian soil through Abadan, Khorramshahr, or Kharg. The equipment they had brought clearly indicated their intention to launch a ground assault."
He detailed: "Refueling aircraft, a hundred specialized drones, and a massive deployment of manpower all pointed to an impending attack. Our Armed Forces performed a masterstroke. They identified the enemy's troop concentration centers via satellite and decimated them in Erbil, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Syria. Al-Tanf in Syria serves as the U.S. Special Operations command center in the region. The IRGC and the Army concentrated their fire on the enemy's logistical arteries, and their plans were thrown into complete disarray."
Hojatoleslam Ameli added: "Casualties were extremely heavy, but America is making a frantic effort to prevent the Democrats from obtaining the true figures. When America itself admits to a hundred wounded and one missing, this alone indicates that human losses are enormous. The Zionist regime is also complicit in the recent operations, yet out of fear of Iranian retaliation, it dares not expose itself. The result is that this war has become yet another failure to add to Trump's string of military defeats."
The Friday Prayer leader of Ardabil continued: "Our martyred Leader said that our Armed Forces would crush you—and they have indeed been crushed. The exact same words were uttered by Imam Khomeini (RA). All political analysts and military experts are stunned by Iran's might, to the extent that even the anchor of the Israeli International television cannot conceal his astonishment, asking an American military expert how Iran, with a budget one-thousandth that of Russia and China, can raze U.S. military bases containing billions of dollars in assets. The expert, with no alternative, concedes that these bases are far too close to Iran, all within easy reach of Iranian missiles, and the distance is so short that interception capability is reduced to zero. Iran easily levels these bases and their expensive hardware. Therefore, this recent war will neither restore America's prestige nor open the Strait."
America and Europe Know That Iran's Superpower Status Depends on Holding the Strait
He further stated: "Some imagine that we should concede on the issue of the new waterway America has created so that America leaves us alone. Firstly, America will not leave us alone unless the cost of confrontation with Iran becomes unbearable. Secondly, if this waterway remains open, America will transfer all its warships, equipment, and munitions through it, and after fully equipping its bases, will seek revenge against Iran. Thus, closing this waterway by Iran is an act of self-defense."
Ameli stressed: "Let it be noted that America, Europe, Israel, and the Arab reactionaries all know that Iran's continued status as a superpower is contingent upon its control of the Strait of Hormuz. They are therefore throwing themselves into fire and water to strip Iran of this lever. Furthermore, all of America's, Europe's, and Israel's hopes rest on sanctions. After the war, they will impose the harshest sanctions on Iran. The only way to neutralize them is for the Strait to remain in Iran's hands. Here, too, any Iranian effort to preserve the Strait constitutes self-defense. The Strait of Hormuz is currently a source of power generation for Iran, turning it into the principal actor regarding oil and oil prices in the world. Trump understands this better than we do, and it burns him."
Hojatoleslam Ameli stated: "America's entire effort in the recent attacks is to see if a single high-ranking Iranian official backs down, speaks from a position of passivity, or raises the need for negotiations—so that it can immediately exploit this, claiming 'I forced them to negotiate, I defeated them.' Thank God that so far, all officials are uniformly declaring that if you strike once, we will strike ten times back. He will take any sign of Iranian passivity to his grave. It is astonishing that Iran has made no request for negotiations whatsoever. Rubio claims that the Iranians have requested direct and indirect talks, but a liar's memory is always weak. In the same interview, he says Iranians are not ready for an agreement. It is a disgrace of immense proportions for a foreign minister to contradict himself in a single interview. This demonstrates that they are truly bewildered in the face of Iran."
Instead of Negotiations, Iran Demands America Leave the Region
The Ardabil Friday Prayer leader added: "They must be told: You have wrecked negotiations time and again. Instead of negotiations, Iran demands that you leave the region. With your departure, the war ends, the Strait opens, the world economy breathes again, regional countries gain security, and your reputation is less tarnished. Retreating halfway is a victory from defeat. Everyone asks what the ultimate outcome of America's recent attack on southern Iran will be. It will undoubtedly lead to a request for negotiations. To date, no sign of Iran's defeat has been observed; on the contrary, all acknowledge that America has failed in this attack and has already begun dispatching mediators for talks. America has neither commitment in negotiations nor does it easily grant concessions to Iran. The best path is to tell America that negotiations are unnecessary—just leave the region. Withdrawal and departure from the region mean the consolidation of Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. This alone is sufficient for us, because they will never lift sanctions. They may lift them on paper, but in practice, they will never do so, nor will they pay compensation. If Iran's sovereignty over the Strait is consolidated, the sanctions problem is solved, losses are compensated from that point, and countries that have frozen Iranian assets will release them."
National Unity Is the Only Shield Against Iran's Collapse
Emphasizing three critical points regarding recent events, he stated: "First, note that after five months, the military capability of our Armed Forces has not diminished one iota, proving that the enemy's lies are the enemy's wishes. According to a Turkish military expert, Iran's ammunition depots are sufficient for five years. Therefore, America must not count on the degradation of Iran's military capability or on turning the war into one of attrition."
He continued: "The second point is that if Iran is to fall, there is only one path: internal discord and infighting among various factions. The recent statements by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the necessity of preserving unity and sensitivity to maintaining national cohesion are entirely apt and calculated. In his address, meaningful reminders were given to both sides. If someone utters words that cause society to be afflicted first by discord and then by fracture, this is an injustice to the country, an injustice to the nation, an injustice to the martyrs, and an injustice to the martyred Leader. Through discord, we will lose everything. Let everyone reflect on the Leader's words when he spoke of 'injustice to the innocent'—meaning that to establish guilt, fault, and intent, one must exercise extreme caution and sensitivity, and we must not easily accuse anyone of being on a mission for the enemy."
The Imam of Friday prayers in Ardabil added: "Let everyone be mindful that if any individual or group inside the country acts or speaks in a way that gives hope to the enemy, or sends a message of desperation to the enemy, should the enemy then attack, the blood of anyone killed will be on the hands of the one who gave hope to the enemy. Today, the scent of blood emanates from divisive rhetoric. If we embolden the enemy, they will attack far more fiercely. Whoever disrupts our cohesion is a partner in the enemy's crimes. In all disputes, the word of the Supreme Leader is the final arbiter, and no one should engage in independent interpretation against his directives."
America Seeks Nothing Less Than the Erasure of Iran
In another segment of his sermon, he stated: "Everyone must understand that America's objective is solely to swallow Iran whole. It will settle for nothing less. No matter how much we retreat, they think of nothing but Iran's erasure from the map. Anyone who does not view America in this light has not understood America. Reason dictates that in the face of an enemy that seeks to devour you, the only solution is to become strong—and nothing else. God has placed the two unparalleled levers of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb at our disposal. The final message of our martyred Leader was this verse: 'Do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.' (Qur'an 3:139)."
He continued: "The third point is that the enemy's astonishment at the precision strikes of Iranian missiles is noteworthy. In a U.S. base, there are numerous buildings and hangars. Iran can identify which one serves as the sleeping quarters of American soldiers and precisely targets that very building. We have not forgotten that in the early days of the war, Iran targeted the dome of an American AWACS aircraft in a Persian Gulf state. This scientific, defensive, and military might is a genuine source of pride and sacred honor for every Iranian, and we have no doubt it was made possible through the measures laid down by the martyred Leader."
The Ardabil Friday Prayer leader stated: "American bases house the most advanced defense systems, designed to counter China and Russia. Iran has destroyed them all, and now America finds itself completely disarmed in the face of Russia and China. This great catastrophe, carried out by the capable hands of our Armed Forces, represents a horrifying blow to America, as it cannot easily restore these bases. This is a colossal military humiliation for America; it is part of our revenge."
American Bases Across the Region Razed to the Ground
The representative of the Leader in Ardabil Province detailed: "The largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, Al Udeid in Qatar, located 30 kilometers from Doha, has been under American control since the year 2000. It contained everything: residential areas, telecommunications centers, underground tunnels, ammunition depots, tens of thousands of American soldiers and Marines, a highly equipped and massive airport, and a command center. This base was not merely a military facility but the U.S. command center for the Persian Gulf, overseeing other bases. Likewise, the U.S. naval base at Juffair in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been hit."
He added: "The Eskan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Arifjan Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and Al Musannah Base in the Sultanate of Oman—all of these, with their entire complement of equipment, have been razed to the ground. General McKenzie, the former commander of CENTCOM, has stated: 'The world, and even I, did not think that Iran, facing the full might of America and Israel after the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, could last more than two days. Over 50 years of effort went into fortifying CENTCOM bases in the Middle East, and all of it has been destroyed. Now, contrary to our plans, the world is witnessing something else entirely. Trump has squandered America's image in the world—an asset on which we had spent so dearly.'"
The Friday Prayer leader continued: "When America saw that its bases in the Persian Gulf were within full range of Iranian missiles, it relocated its forces and equipment to Jordan and Syria, not realizing that both countries are like the palm of Iran's hand due to its radar, satellite, and missile capabilities. When a single individual is completely vaporized in a missile strike on a base, one can easily understand what kind of hell that missile unleashed upon the facility. Of course, Iran's power is not limited to missiles alone. Far above missiles is the presence of the people on the scene and our national cohesion. The alignment of global public opinion with us is one of the great components of Iranian power."
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