Iran’s Friday Prayer Leaders Rally Behind Attacks on US Bases, Israel

On July 17, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed retaliatory strikes against American bases in Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and Syria, following earlier US strikes. This aggressive stance was widely endorsed by state-appointed Friday Prayer leaders across Iran. In Tehran, Mohammad-Javad Haj-Aliakbari emphasized the "destruction of Israel" and stated, "Full vengeance has not yet been achieved, and the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of this path." Other leaders, such as Ahmad Zarei in Eslamabad-e Gharb, warned of further escalation, while Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani of Karaj criticized diplomatic efforts, stating, "Negotiation should no longer be spoken of." The IRGC Aerospace Force commander warned that Iranian attacks would continue until “peace returns to the southern coastline and the Strait of Hormuz.”