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Iran’s leader has praised pro-Palestinian protestors continuing to protest on US college campuses.

In a letter, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that student protestors continuing to protest and create encampments on campuses were “courageous” in the “defense of the Palestinian people.” He added, “You have now formed a branch of the Resistance Front and have begun an honorable struggle in the face of your government’s ruthless pressure—a government which openly supports the usurper and brutal Zionist regime.” The Ayatollah also claimed Israel was an “apartheid Zionist regime” that was committing “genocide” in Gaza.

In response to the Ayatollah’s statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “When you’ve won the Ayatollah, you’ve lost America.”

Khamenei’s remarks come amidst heightened regional tensions following the escalation of conflict between Israel and Hamas. In addition to Hamas, other Iranian-backed groups, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, have launched attacks against US military personnel and Israel over the ongoing war. This has led to additional regional instability and resulted in the United States, France, the UK, and other Western allies taking military action against the groups.