During a recent meeting with the country’s elite scientific community, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei discussed the ongoing situation between Israel and Hamas. As the battle rages on, Khamenei issued stern warnings against Israel and the United States as President Joe Biden was preparing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In no uncertain terms, Khamenei urged commanders in Iran and leaders of resistance groups to push back against Israel’s attack on Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the meeting, which took place on Tuesday.

In response to statements made by representatives of some countries to Iranian officials about Israel's right to defend itself against the crimes committed against it, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei justified the massacres carried out by Hamas, which is a proxy of his, against Israeli civilians, arguing that there are no civilians in Israel and that all Israelis are armed. He also said that Israel "kills one hundred times more" Palestinians in its attacks in Gaza and deliberately targets civilians. In addition, he called for Israel to be tried for genocide.

On the eve of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel and the region, Khamenei warned the U.S. that it must act to restrain Israel's response to Hamas.

Khamenei stressed that “if the crimes of the Zionist regime continue,” then “Muslims and the resistance forces will lose their patience and nobody will be able to stop them.” The Supreme Leader also highlighted the importance of making scientific advances so that Iran will not become “vulnerable.”

The following is a translation of the main points of Khamenei's speech:

The researchers and scientists must not tolerate the gluttony of the oppressor [i.e. Israel] and the hunger of the oppressed [i.e. the Palestinians]. We must respond. Let's respond. Today, in the case of Gaza, this response is on all of us. We must respond. Some are hungry, some have been bombed, some are being murdered by the hundreds.

…

If the crimes of the Zionist regime continue, the Muslims and the resistance forces will lose their patience and nobody will be able to stop them. Of course, it does not matter what the Zionist regime does – it cannot compensate for the scandalous failure it has suffered in this event.

Khamenei’s comments came the day before President Biden was traveling to Israel to meet with Netanyahu and other key leaders in the region. The Supreme Leader indicated that the United States should play a pivotal role in reining in Israel as it fights to destroy Hamas. “According to the large amount of information we have, the current policy of the Zionist regime…is orchestrated by the Americans,” he said.

It has already been shown that Iran was involved in Hamas’ initial attack on Israel. Its leaders met with Hamas, and it was later revealed that the regime assisted the terrorist group in the planning and execution of the assault. Indeed, the Iranian government has already made threats to get more involved in the fighting if Israel continues hunting Hamas members.

The real question here is whether Khamenei is serious, or if he is engaging in a bit of saber-rattling. Certainly, his call for action is a source for concern – it could inspire other extremist groups to ramp up attacks on the Jewish state. However, there is a chance that Khamenei knows that getting more involved might be risky – even if it is through Iran’s proxy army, Hezbollah.

Still, if Israel is preoccupied with Hamas, it is possible that Iran might see an opening through which it could damage the Jewish state. As of now, it remains to be seen what Iran will do in the near future.