Iran’s day of power
By Hassan
Hanizadeh
Regional affairs expert
Yesterday, two major and historic events took place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, demonstrating the country’s power like never before. Firstly, Tehran hosted a massive Friday Prayer service led by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, which drew a million-strong crowd of people from the Iranian capital and other cities. Secondly, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi paid a daring visit to Beirut amid potential security risks and threats posed by the Israeli regime.
Following Iran’s missile attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials made numerous threats against Iran, with some media outlets even claiming that Iranians were fleeing to shelters in fear of an Israeli response. However, we witnessed a massive turnout of people at the Friday Prayer, with all government officials. It seemed that the Friday Prayer service was the most well-attended since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Such huge crowd undoubtedly sent a clear message to Iran’s enemies, particularly the Israeli regime, demonstrating that Iranians were not intimidated by Israeli threats.
Another notable aspect was the Leader’s stance during the Friday Prayer. With expectational valor, Ayatollah Khamenei warned that Israel would undoubtedly face a more crushing response should it strike back. He also described Iran’s military action against Israel as a legitimate and rational measure, highlighting the country’s commitment to defending its national interests, backed by its advanced defense and deterrent capabilities.
Moving on to Araghchi’s trip, it should be noted that the visit occurred as the Israeli army was pounding Beirut with airstrikes. It’s unlikely that anyone would have predicted that the Iranian foreign minister would take the risk of traveling to the Lebanese capital under such perilous conditions. Meanwhile, all of Iran’s armed forces were put on high alert, ready to respond swiftly if the Israeli military made a mistake. Fortunately, no action was taken by the Israeli regime, and Araghchi arrived in Beirut, meeting with Lebanese officials. In fact, it demonstrated Iran’s clout, as its foreign minister took a risk and traveled to Lebanon despite the prevailing insecurity.
Therefore, October 4 became a historic day for Iran, as the country’s power and defense capabilities as well as its people’s unwavering support for the Islamic Establishment were demonstrated. The great show of force painted a clean-cut image of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strength.