On November 29, during an address to Basij members (a voluntary arm of the IRGC), Khamenei asserted that West Asia's geopolitical landscape has shifted to favor the "Axis of Resistance" and hasten the de-Americanization process in the region. Khamenei's office circulated a Video reflecting the Leader's Remarks: 'Al-Aqsa Storm Marks Al-Aqsa storm is the de-Americanization of the region.
Khamenei's rationale for promoting the concept of "de-Americanization" in West Asia is deeply rooted in the belief that the region needs to free itself from the influence and policies of the United States. This stance gained significant momentum with the occurrence of the Al-Aqsa storm, an operation led by Hamas against Israel. Khamenei interprets this event not just as a confrontation against the Zionist regime but as a pivotal moment signaling the weakening of American political dominance in the region. The Al-Aqsa storm, in his view, marks a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of West Asia, steering it away from U.S. influence and towards a landscape where local powers and resistance movements hold more sway.
Since the Gaza war's onset, Iran has linked through vast propaganda and hectic diplomacy Israeli operations in Gaza to American support. Khamenei's video represents a significant development in Iran's regional strategy that aligns with Iran's support for the 'Axis of Resistance' targeting American interests in the region and challenging the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf.
Khamenei said, "A few years back, regarding Lebanon, the Americans expressed their intent to create a 'new Middle East' tailored to their own illegitimate needs and interests. However, they ultimately failed in this endeavor… "America aimed to dismantle Hezbollah, but following the 33-day war (Iran's designation for the Lebanon War, 2006), Hezbollah emerged over ten times more powerful than it was previously."
Ayatollah Khamenei described America's inability to establish control in Iraq by installing an American-led government, be it under a U.S. general, a civilian leader, or even an Iraqi aligned with the U.S., post-occupation, as further evidence of the failed attempt to create a new Middle East.
Khamenei stated that the centers of resistance are now actively engaged in the Palestinian arena, adding that "A key aspect of their (American) 'new Middle East' strategy was to resolve the Palestinian issue in favor of the occupying power (Israel), essentially erasing the existence of Palestine. However, the deceitful plan supported by the two governments never materialized. Today, the state of affairs and advancements in Palestine, with groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, are incomparable to their status 20 years ago".
Khamenei outlined the features of the newly evolving West Asia's landscape, emphasizing "de-Americanization" as its primary characteristic. This concept, he explained, signifies not the severance of political ties with the U.S. but the erosion of American power and influence in the region. He noted that even nations heavily reliant on the U.S., like some Gulf States, are beginning to distance themselves from the United States.
He critiqued U.S. efforts to "bolster the Zionist regime (Israel) and foster regional ties with it, such as through the Abraham Accords and potential normalization with Saudi Arabia. Khamenei highlighted the "Al-Aqsa storm," the Hamas operation against Israel on October 7th, as a "pivotal moment in regional de-Americanization. This attack, while directed at Israel, disrupted U.S. policy in the region. This trend will continue if the operation persists". "Due to the disruption of American policy strategies in the region and the ongoing impact of the Al-Aqsa storm, it's likely that American influence in the region will be completely wiped out."
Khamenei also pointed out the dissolution of false dichotomies like "Arab and non-Arab" or "Shia and Sunni," particularly evident in the unified support for Palestinians across these divides during the Al-Aqsa storm and the war in Gaza. Contrasting these binaries, Khamenei introduced a new paradigm of "resistance and submission" dominating the region, where resistance signifies rejection of American "bullying, extravagance, and interference."
He then discussed the "evolving resolution of the Palestinian issue, envisioning complete Palestinian sovereignty over their lands, with divine intervention." Highlighting Iran's "acceptable, civilized and logical proposed "solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – a referendum involving all Palestinians, excluding Jewish immigrants – Khamenei asserted that, Of course, some say that the Zionist regime will accept this plan, but this must be imposed on it. "He expressed confidence that with the "determination of resistance forces," this goal is attainable.
Referring to the attribution of a "false opinion to the Islamic Republic of Iran by some people in the world about throwing Jews and Zionists into the sea to solve the Palestinian issue, Khamenei said, not for the first time, The opinion of the Islamic Republic is not to throw anyone into the sea, but it is that there should be a government with the opinion of the Palestinian people should be formed. The same government should decide about such people (Jews). Such a government would determine the fate of Jewish residents".
Khamenei remarked that the "Al-Aqsa storm" had expedited these objectives, stressing that Israel's aggressive response, including attacks on civilian infrastructures, won't quell the movement. "Of course, this regime could not and will not be able to eliminate the Al-Aqsa storm with these crimes."
He criticized the Zionist regime for its failure in the Gaza conflict, stating that its violent reactions only tarnished its image, as well as that of the U.S., and "even dishonor to Western culture and civilization." He condemned a Western leader's defense of Israel's actions as "self-defense," arguing that it further discredits Western values.
Finally, Khamenei reflected on the last 50 days of the war in Gaza as a "microcosm of 75 years of Zionist aggression in Palestine, highlighting the continual displacement, violence, and settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinian lives and homes".
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