Tehran, Iran (CNN)Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers in Tehran for the first time in eight years, amid public fury over the military's shooting down of a passenger jet and sky-high tensions with the US.

Khamenei mocked US officials as "American clowns" and criticized France, Germany and the UK as "lackeys" of the US that can't be trusted. He also expressed his condolences to the families of victims of the plane crash.

It is rare for Khamenei -- the highest spiritual and political authority in Iran -- to lead Friday prayers, and the move is thought to be an effort to rally support after several tumultuous weeks that have piled pressure on the Islamic Republic's rulers.
Iran's most important general, Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq two weeks ago, and Iran retaliated with strikes on US targets, bringing Tehran and Washington briefly to the brink of all-out conflict.


Huge crowds attended Friday prayers in Tehran.

Iran's military then shot down a Ukrainian commercial flight in Tehran, killing all 176 people onboard, including 82 Iranians, prompting days of protests and finger-pointing between rival factions of the government.

[b]In a defiant sermon Friday, Khamenei described the "martyrdom" of Soleimani and Tehran's retaliation against the US as "acts of God, not man," and boasted that Iran had delivered a slap in the face to the United States.

Iran's Foreign Minister says people took the streets because they were 'lied to'
"What took place could not have been the work of any human actor, only the hand of God," Khamenei said. "The day in which the missiles of [Iran's Revolutionary Guards] rained down upon the American base, that was also the day of the Almighty."

"We saw history in the making. These are not normal days. The fact that a power, a nation, does possess the spiritual strengths in order to respond to the biggest bullying power in the world with such a slap in the face, this shows the divine hand, the hand of God", the Supreme Leader said.
Khamenei also railed against US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who have said on social media that they stand with Iranian protesters.[/b]

He said "American clowns" lie to the public when they say the US is with the people of Iran.
"If you stand in close proximity to Iran, it is with the intention of driving a knife into the chest of the people," he said.
Huge crowds were present to witness the rare sermon, with President Hassan Rouhani in the front row alongside parliament speaker Ali Larijani. The last time Khamenei presided over Friday prayers was in 2012 to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. He also led prayers in 2009 amid protests that erupted after disputed presidential elections.

Over the past few days Iranian radio broadcasts and television had been encouraging people to join the prayers.
They come at a pivotal time for Iran, after vigils to mourn those who died in the Ukraine International Airlines crash quickly turned into mass anti-government demonstrations, with calls for Khamenei to step down and for those responsible for downing the plane to be prosecuted.

Is this Iran's 'Chernobyl moment'?
Iran's military initially denied shooting down the plane before admitting to it several days later, saying the plane was "accidentally hit by human error."

Khamenei expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, but said foreign press had tried to deceive Iranians over the crash.
"Our enemy tried to manipulate the bitter crash of the plane to overshadow our accomplishments," he said.
"The events that followed the crash must not be allowed to repeat themselves," Khamenei added, which could be taken as a stern warning to security forces not to allow further protests or unrest.

Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said earlier this week that people had taken to the streets because they were "lied to for a couple days."
Khamenei also addressed ongoing tension with France, Germany and the UK -- the so-called E3 nations -- who triggered a dispute mechanism in the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to a further unraveling of the accord.

"Today it has been clear that these European countries are the lackeys and yes men of America," he said.
"But, you the European countries must bear in mind the America has not managed to bring the Iranian nation down to its knees, let alone you, you are much less mighty than America."

The Europeans are "an iron fist that has been given the veil of a velvet glove," said Khamenei. "They cannot be the people who we trust."

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/17/middleeast/iran-supreme-leader-friday-prayers-intl/index.html

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Organisation of terrorists!!!!!

In Trump and Pompeo's words.
"We are with the people of Iran"
I don't know how they want ordinary Iranian to believe this.

You plunged their country into chaos in 1953 by toppling their democratically elected leader and installing a corrupt dictator that helped you milk Iran dry. They decided to take their destiny into their hands by removing your puppet Shah in a revolution this angered you and you sabotaged their economy for 4 decades yet you are still with the people of Iran? Hahahaha

dermmy:
In Trump and Pompeo's words.
"We are with the people of Iran"
I don't know how they want ordinary Iranian to believe this.

You plunged their country in chaos in 1953 by toppling their democratically elected leader and installing a corrupt dictator that helped you milked Iran dry. They decided to take their destiny into their hands by removing your puppet Shah in a revolution this angered you and you sabotaged their economy for 4 decades yet you are still with the people of Iran? Hahahaha

Americans are bastards. It will take the brainwashed 100yrs to figure it out. Propaganda media has turned most of the world people into guinea pigs

timesup234:
Americans are bastards. It will take the brainwashed 100yrs to figure it out. Propaganda media has turned most of the world people into guinea pigs

yes oh. persians( now iranians) used to be bastards during the reign of cyrus , xerses and darius etc . it was another set bastards lead by alexander the great who figured it out.

dermmy:
In Trump and Pompeo's words.
"We are with the people of Iran"
I don't know how they want ordinary Iranian to believe this.

You plunged their country into chaos in 1953 by toppling their democratically elected leader and installing a corrupt dictator that helped you milk Iran dry. They decided to take their destiny into their hands by removing your puppet Shah in a revolution this angered you and you sabotaged their economy for 4 decades yet you are still with the people of Iran? Hahahaha

The 1953 thing was about oil greed.
The Ayatollah who had been to France was welcomed home to create a theocratic brutal Islamic regime. The people elect a President but the decision maker is a Shia cleric, who murder people at will and use laws to micro manage what ordinary Persians can say, eat, wear, marry, defecate, Literally every aspect of their life with some very Basiji guys on the watch.
To you it seems you support the Islamic revolution that took them back to stone age.
If the Mullahs did not have oil their policies would have equated the to Chad or some other despotic third world hellhole, which it I in a way

basilico:


The 1953 thing was about oil greed.
The Ayatollah who had been to France was welcomed home to create a theocratic brutal Islamic regime. The people elect a President but the decision maker is a Shia cleric, who murder people at will and use laws to micro manage what ordinary Persians can say, eat, wear, marry, defecate, Literally every aspect of their life with some very Basiji guys on the watch.
To you it seems you support the Islamic revolution that took them back to stone age.
If the Mullahs did not have oil their policies would have equated the to Chad or some other despotic third world hellhole, which it I in a way

Why won't i support the islamic revolution? Do you know how the west used the Shah to exploit Iran economically? Mohammed Mossadeg was removed in a CIA and British MI6 coup because he was leaning towards socialism which was anti-thetical to US capitalist order.

He nationalised all foreign companies and expropriated the oil sector. He had good plans for the people of Iran but his plans were against western interest in Iran.

The Iranians had to take back their country by removing the western puppet called the Shah in a revolution that put an end to western exploitation led by America. It wasn't the revolution that took them back to the stone age it was western sanctions. Iran had enough resources to be a great country.

US was pained because the revolution put an end to the free oil concessions they were receiving under the corrupt Shah. The same thing they did to Cuba after Fidel Castro removed the American puppet that was milking their country dry, American sanctions followed as usual. The same thing Donald Trump is trying to do to Iraq today, He said if American troops leave Iraq the US would place heavy sanctions on Iraq.

That has been the norm for decades. If you don't allow America to exploit your country expect economic sabotage from America. This was rampant during the cold war.

Kingosytex:
Organisation of terrorists!!!!!

Like the one your father created abi