Friday prayer sermons across the country’s cities were marked by warnings from prayer leaders directed at the United States and Israel over the potential for renewed attacks on May 22. Addressing the U.S. and Israel, “Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali-Akbari,” the temporary Friday prayer leader of Tehran, stated: “If you commit a foolish act, this time you will witness a different Iran and experience new missiles that you never even imagined.”
“Ahmad Motahari-Asl,” the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, addressed Donald Trump, declaring: “We act upon our words.” He added that while the Islamic Republic previously spoke of regionalizing the war, it now warns that “if you violate the terms, we will make this an international war.”
He also emphasized that all damages from the war, including those to “ships,” would be extracted, and that the international internet fiber optic cables passing through the coasts of the Islamic Republic would be “subject to fees”; otherwise, the “international internet” would be cut off.
The Tabriz Friday prayer leader went a step further, threatening that since Israel continues its war against Hezbollah and Lebanon despite warnings from the Islamic Republic, the “Bab al-Mandab” Strait would also be closed by order of “Mojtabi Khamenei,” the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
