Khamenei says Hezbollah's fight 'vital service to entire region'

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered remarks in Arabic in a rare Friday sermon after the Farsi-speaking Islamic republic had launched a missile attack on foe Israel.

During the sermon at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei hailed Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah and Hamas, which are both fighting Israel and operate in Arabic-speaking Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, respectively.

Khamenei said that Tehran-aligned armed groups "will not back down" even after a spate of Israeli killings of militant leaders.

"The resistance in the region will not back down with these martyrdoms, and will win," said Khamenei.

Khamenei had a rifle by his side as he addressed worshippers in Tehran.

He delivered the sermon -- his first in nearly five years - to thousands of worshippers carrying portraits of slain leaders of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States.

Khamenei said Friday that Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah was providing a "vital service to the entire region" by fighting Israel.

"Hezbollah ... by defending Gaza, fighting for (Jerusalem's) Al-Aqsa Mosque and hitting the usurping and tyrannical regime (Israel), took a step (in providing) a vital service to the entire region and the entire Islamic world," Khamenei said.