The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, on Thursday praised the students in the United States who are protesting against Israel over the rising death toll in the war in Gaza. "You are standing on the right side of history," Khamenei told them.
"Dear university students in the United States of America, this message is an expression of our empathy and solidarity with you," wrote the supreme leader of Iran in an open letter published on his official website; portions also appeared on his English-language X social media feed.
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Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei praises U.S. college students for pro-Palestinian protests
(Photos: Alex Kent / Getty Images North America / AFP)
"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 - which openly supports Zionists," wrote Khamenei, referring to Tehran-aligned armed groups across the Middle East arrayed against arch-foe Israel which is also known as the Axis of Resistance.
Universities in the United States were rocked by pro-Palestinian demonstrations in April, triggering campus clashes with police and the arrest of dozens of people.
The demonstrations began at Columbia University in New York and later spread across the country as well as to Europe and elsewhere.
Tehran has reiterated support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, which was triggered by the group's attack on southern Israel on October 7.