Iran's Supreme Leader Says 'There Are No Proxy Forces and No Need for Them'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei affirmed on December 22 that armed groups in the Middle East do not act as proxy forces of Tehran.

In a speech in Tehran on December 22, Khamenei said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has no proxy forces. Yemen fights for its faith. Hezbollah fights because the power of its faith drives it to the battlefield. Hamas and the jihadist groups fight because their beliefs compel them to act. They are not our proxy forces,” AFP reported.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting on December 22.

The West has long viewed the armed groups in the informal alliance known as the “Axis of Resistance” as proxies of Tehran. In addition to Iran, the Axis of Resistance includes the Shia Islamist militias in Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi movement in Yemen as its main forces. These groups share a common regional rival, Israel, and Tel Aviv’s ally, the United States.

“They (the Americans) keep saying that Iran has lost its proxy forces in the region. This is another mistake. If one day we have to act, we will not need proxy forces,” Khamenei said.

Khamenei's remarks came as pro-Iran forces such as Hamas and Hezbollah have been fighting Israel for more than a year. Yemen's Houthi forces have launched local attacks on ships in the Red Sea and have also faced retaliation from the US and Israel. Most recently, the US military announced on December 21 that it had carried out airstrikes on Houthi missile depots and command centers in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

The government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was also a supporter of Syria and provided weapons to pro-Iranian forces. However, Mr. al-Assad was overthrown by opposition forces in early December and the opposition group set up a new government.

Iran's supreme leader also criticized the US for trying to create instability and chaos in Iran. Washington officials have not yet responded to these statements.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lanh-tu-toi-cao-iran-tuyen-bo-khong-co-va-khong-can-luc-luong-uy-nhiem-185241222202447348.htm