- News code: 1650947
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called for death sentence for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose arrest warrant has been issued by the ICC amid the regime’s genocide in Gaza and carnage in Lebanon.
“The (ICC) arrest warrant is not enough, Netanyahu's death sentence must be ordered,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during a meeting with members of the Iranian Basij volunteer force on Monday, on the occasion of Basij Week.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his ousted war minister Yoav Gallant over their war crimes related to the ongoing Gaza genocide.
Now, the pair are at risk of arrest if they step foot in any of the 124 countries that signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC.
Referring to Israel's aggression in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the Leader said the bombing of houses is not a victory but “a crime”.
The enemy has not won its wars on Gaza and Lebanon, and it will never be able to do so, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted.
The Leader also hailed Basij as the direct opposite of hegemonic powers, which are trying to manipulate national beliefs.
Ayatollah Khamenei said hegemonic powers first try to take away capabilities of nations.
The Leader noted that Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Revolution, created Basij volunteer force as a "bulwark" against threats.
Basiji is not intimidated by the US and Israeli propaganda, he asserted, adding that some of the prominent Iranian scientists, who were assassinated by the enemy, were members of the volunteer force.
Ayatollah Khamenei further said that Basij will definitely destroy the Zionist regime. Basij, he emphasized, should strengthen, expand and maintain preparedness.
The leader said the United States' ideal for the region is either submission or chaos, urging the force to counter US duality of dictator ship and anarchy.
Additionally in his remarks, the Leader praised Basij’s successes in foiling enemies’ plots against the Islamic Revolution.
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on a deal around 15 years ago, when the US "vowed" to deliver uranium with 20 percent purity to Iran to be used for radiopharmaceuticals in return for taking all of the country's 3.5 percent uranium.
"The Americans were cheating, we realized that they were cheating. It (the deal) was stopped," the Leader said.
"Those who disrupted the US's evil conspiracy in the case of 20 percent enriched uranium, which was needed by the country, were Basij members."
“At the same time, Iran’s Basiji professors managed to produce the 20 percent enriched uranium inside the country. Americans could not believe this would happen,” the Leader added.
