SAEDNEWS: In his Friday sermon in Mashhad, senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda accused the United States of decades of crimes against Iran, beginning with the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. He claimed that despite sanctions, wars, and cultural offensives, Iran has advanced and grown stronger.
Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Alamolhoda, in the political sermon of this week’s Friday prayers held at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, described the current days as coinciding with the anniversary of the August 19, 1953 coup. He stated: “What the United States carried out some 60 years ago was the beginning of its crimes in Iran. This coup was directed against the popular government of Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh and, in truth, against the Iranian nation, resulting in 25 years of America’s direct domination over the country.”
The Friday prayer leader of Mashhad added: “During that period, various crimes were committed against the Iranian people until, through the determination of the nation and the leadership of Imam Khomeini, the United States was expelled from the country. Yet, from the very first day of the Islamic Revolution’s victory, America began unprecedented sedition and conspiracies.”
He pointed to Washington’s explicit support for the Pahlavi regime’s massacre of demonstrators, saying: “On September 8, 1978 (17 Shahrivar), when people were massacred in Tehran, the then US president called Mohammad Reza Shah by phone to declare his support. Similarly, on November 4 of that same year, during the killing of students, America once again stood behind the Shah.”
Alamolhoda continued: “After the victory of the Revolution, America played a role in inciting ethnic groups toward separatism. Documents obtained from the US embassy in August 1979 revealed that American agents advised separatist groups among Baluch, Kurds, Turkmen, and Arabs to unite in order to weaken Iran.”
He further stated: “The start of the imposed war (Iran–Iraq war) also took shape through coordination between Saddam Hussein and the US National Security Advisor. Tariq Aziz, then Iraqi foreign minister, recounted that Saddam had reached an agreement with the Americans to attack Iran, and they promised him support.”
The Friday prayer leader reminded: “During the war, the United States directly entered the battlefield: it targeted the Sahand frigate, sank the Arjmand ship, and in the final days of the war, shot down an Iranian Airbus passenger plane over the Persian Gulf — later awarding a medal of courage to the commander responsible for this crime. These acts show that America has spared no crime against our nation.”
Referring to US actions after the war, Alamolhoda said: “The 1999 student unrest in Tehran and the 2009 riots both unfolded with direct American involvement. Even President Barack Obama officially declared his connection with the rioters.”
He added: “In 2007, the US Congress allocated $66 billion, and in 2009, $55 billion, for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This means American taxpayers’ money was spent on destroying a popular revolution — a disgrace that remains in their history.”
The cleric also addressed America’s cultural offensive: “In Edward Schultz’s plan, it was explicitly stated that the beliefs and religious foundations of the Iranian people — which secure their loyalty to the Revolution — must be destroyed. The primary goal of this plan was to eliminate the Shi’a and revolutionary foundations of society.”
He went on: “America’s latest conspiracy was to increase its active presence around Iran’s borders in order to create the shadow of war and disrupt the country’s economy. But experience has shown that Iranians do not retreat under such threats — they grow even more resilient.”
Alamolhoda reminded: “From November 14, 1979, following the takeover of the US embassy, President Jimmy Carter blocked Iranian assets and began sanctions. But these pressures did not hinder our nation’s progress, and Iran in this time has achieved missile and nuclear technology.”
Finally, the Imam of Mashhad drew a parallel with early Islamic history: “The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in his 10 years in Medina, faced 80 battlefields — nearly one every month and a half. Despite this, agriculture, trade, and economic prosperity did not stop, and by the time of the Prophet’s passing, the wealth of Medina’s people had multiplied several times.”
He concluded: “Just as the shadow of war did not prevent the progress of early Muslims, America’s threats cannot stop the advancement of the Iranian people. Our nation today stands more firmly than ever against its enemy.”
