Iran’s Khamenei delivers first public sermon in five years, vows Israel “won’t last long”
Tehran: In a rare Friday sermon, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Israel "won't last long" as he expressed strong support for Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel. Speaking to tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei defended Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, describing them as a "public service."
With a gun placed beside him, Khamenei asserted that Israel would not prevail against Hamas or Hezbollah. The crowd responded with chants of “we are with you,” filling the mosque grounds. This sermon marked Khamenei’s first public address in five years, emphasising a show of defiance amid ongoing threats to his life.
During his speech, Khamenei praised Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the former chief of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week.
"Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is no longer with us, but his spirit and path will continue to inspire us forever. He was the high-standing flag against the Zionist enemy. His martyrdom will further increase this influence. The loss of Nasrallah is not in vain. We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith," Khamenei declared.
He went on to call Hezbollah a “blessed tree” that flourished under Nasrallah's leadership. He urged Muslims to support Lebanon’s “jihad” and its battle for the al-Aqsa mosque, calling it a duty and responsibility.
Khamenei also defended the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, calling them the “correct move,” and claimed that no international law could question the right of the Lebanese and Palestinians to defend themselves against occupation.
"There is no doubt that the Zionists and the Americans are dreaming—the Zionist entity will be uprooted from the ground. It has no roots, it is fake, unstable, and exists only because of American support," Khamenei stated.
Khamenei's sermon comes just three days after Iran launched 180 missiles targeting critical infrastructure in Israel and three days before the first anniversary of the Israel-Gaza war. His last public sermon was delivered in January 2020 following a missile attack on a US army base in Iraq in response to the killing of top Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
