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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the beginning of battle in a post on X, declaring, “In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins,” according to a CNN report run by the UNB news agency.
The name Haidar refers to Ali, regarded by Shia Muslims as the first Imam and rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad.
In a separate post on his English-language X account, Khamenei called for a forceful retaliation against Israel. “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy,” he stated.