‘Choose your side’: Iran's Larijani calls on Muslim world to confront 'Great Satan'

Iran's National Security Council head said Washington is in a ‘strategic impasse’ and called on regional leaders to reconsider their strategic alignments  

News Desk  -  The Cradle

Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a six-point statement on 16 March addressed to Muslims and Islamic governments across the world, accusing regional states of failing to support Iran during the US-Israeli war and urging them to reconsider their political alignment.

“Iran has been subjected to a deceptive US-Zionist aggression that occurred during negotiations, with the aim of dismantling Iran. This aggression led to the martyrdom of the great and self-sacrificing leader of the Islamic Revolution, as well as a number of civilians and military commanders,” Larijani said.

He said the aggression was met with “firm national and Islamic resistance from the Iranian people,” who were able to suppress “the attacking enemy until it has now become unable to find a way out of this strategic impasse.”

Larijani criticized the broader Islamic world for failing to back Tehran, saying that “except for rare cases and only within the limits of political positions, no Islamic state has stood by the Iranian people.” 

Addressing governments that condemned Iranian strikes on US facilities in the region, Larijani dismissed their objections as “a flimsy pretext,” asking whether Iran was “expected to stand idly” as US bases through Gulf countries are used to stage strikes on Iranian soil.

He described the ongoing war as a conflict “between the US and Israel on one side, and Iran, the Muslim nation, and the forces of resistance on the other. So which side will you stand with?”

Larijani also criticized the stance of some Islamic governments, saying Iran remains “on the path of resistance in confronting the Greater Satan and the Lesser Satan, meaning the US and Israel.” 

He also questioned whether their positions contradict the prophetic saying, “Whoever hears a man calling ‘O Muslims!’ and does not respond to him is not a Muslim.”

Larijani concluded by urging regional leaders to reconsider their strategic choices, warning that “the US has no loyalty to you and that Israel is your enemy,” adding that “Iran is sincere in advising you and does not seek to dominate you.”

He ended by saying that “the unity of the Islamic Ummah, if achieved with full strength, is capable of guaranteeing security, progress, and independence for all its countries.”