The Leader, who made the remarks in a meeting with a group of people from Khuzestan and Kerman provinces, added, “Muslim nations should ask their governments to cut off any ties and assistance to Zionist criminals.”

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Palestinian people will triumph and Israel will be eradicated, hailing the people of Gaza and its fighters for standing “like a rock” in the face of an unprecedented brutal war.

“With God's help, the righteous front will undoubtedly win and the usurping Zionist regime will be eradicated, and we hope that you, the youth, will see this certain future with your own eyes,” he continued, according to Press TV.

The Leader described the events of the besieged Gaza Strip during the past two and a half months as “a unique and extraordinary phenomenon in the recent history of the Islamic world, the like of which we haven’t had in recent history and perhaps in the last century”.

“This incident is unique from two sides. From the side of the Zionist regime, it is unique because this kind of brutality, criminality and bloodlust has never been seen in the period I mentioned," Ayatollah Khamenei added.

“This kind of child killing, with bunker-busting bombs thrown over patients in hospitals, this kind of cruelty and wickedness is unprecedented,” he said.

“On the other side – the side of the Palestinian people and Palestinian fighters, this kind of standing, patience, resistance, and driving the enemy crazy has never been seen," the Leader continued.

Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The people of Gaza, the fighters of Gaza stood like a rock, like a mountain. It is an important thing. Without water, food, medicine and fuel, they stood and didn't give up. It is very important.”

“Not giving up makes them victorious, even though the signs of victory can be seen today,” Ayatollah Khamenei added, citing the Holy Qur’an which says “Truly, Allah is with those who are patient.”

Israel, the Leader said, “with all the equipment and all the facilities, remains powerless against the Palestinian fighters, whose equipment is almost incomparable to the equipment of the Zionist regime”.

“The failure of the Zionist regime in this incident is also the failure of the United States, and today no one in the world makes a difference between the occupying regime and America and Britain, and everyone knows that they are one and the same.”

The Leader said the U.S. veto of several resolutions of the UN Security Council for a cease-fire and the cessation of bombings in Gaza was “a shameless act” and “complicity with the Zionist regime to drop bombs on children, women, old men, the sick and other defenseless people”.

“The great victory of the Palestinian nation and the Front of Righteous and Resistance is that it discredited the West and America and exposed the nature of all their false human rights claims, since Israel was not able to commit so many crimes without the support of America.

“And today the ugly face of the hideous monsters America and Britain has been revealed to all the people of the world, and the nature of the White House has been exposed and the inner self of the governments of American and Britain has been revealed.”

The Leader said governments and nations have a duty to help the resistance in any way possible. “Helping the resistance is everyone's duty, and helping the Zionist regime is a crime and treason,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei expressed regret over the “criminal” assistance of some Islamic states to the Zionist regime, saying Muslim nations will not forget it.

Today, the Leader said, the conscience of the world has been hurt in the face of the Israeli barbarism.

“People in America and Europe are coming to the streets and some political figures and their university presidents and scientists are protesting their governments’ support of the Zionist regime, but despite this, some governments continue to help the brutal regime.”

Participation in elections a duty

Ayatollah Khamenei also said the solution to Iran's problems is elections, warning against certain efforts to discourage people from the ballot boxes.

“Some people constantly remind the country's problems to discourage people, while the solution to the problems is elections, and to solve the problems, one should participate in the elections,” he said.

“Elections are the basis of transformation. Elections prevent dictatorship, chaos and insecurity,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

The Leader touched on the concept of the Islamic Republic, explaining that the words “Islamic” and “Republic” are both related to elections. 

With Iran facing parliamentary and Experts Assembly elections in about two months, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian people “should be prepared for these two important elections in the best possible way”.

“One is the election of the Assembly of Experts for Leadership, the importance of which lies in the fact that it can choose the right leader for the country when necessary, and over time it can and should take care of maintaining the vital qualifications of leadership in the person of the existing leader. The people of Iran, the people of the provinces should pay attention, be careful and hold these elections in the best way.

“And as for the election of the Islamic Consultative Assembly which is very important, according to the Constitution, the council is the one that lays the rail tracks for the future of the country.

"If the country has problems, to solve these problems, there is a need for legislation and the prudent presence of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. These two elections should be held with dignity," the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said scholars, university professors, seminary instructors, radio and television, journalists, young people and people within their families have a duty to invite people to participate in the elections.

“If the participation is weak, the Parliament will be weak and a weak Parliament will not have full ability to solve the problems. If we want to solve the problems, we must increase participation; this is everyone's duty. Whoever wants to solve the country's problems, this is the way.”