Roya Pour Bagher
On July 16, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution held a meeting with the head and high-ranking officials of the Judiciary, as well as the heads of the courts across Iran. This marked his first public appearance after the Zionist regime was forced to halt its aggression in the U.S.-Israeli-imposed war on Iran. Enemies of the Islamic Republic study Ayatollah Khamenei to the smallest detail—from his meticulous choice of words to his demeanor and even appearance. Sometimes, key messages are conveyed through his ring—its material or inscription.
Ayatollah Khamenei attended the July 16 meeting wearing a ring with the inscription, “My Lord is with me.” These words are from a verse of the Holy Quran and a relay of what was uttered by Prophet Moses (pbuh) in a circumstance that invited despair.
During their escape from Pharaoh’s tyranny, Prophet Moses (pbuh) and his followers found themselves trapped—the raging sea before them, Pharaoh and his army behind them. At this moment of certain destruction, his followers lost hope in God and cried out in despair:
“So when the two groups saw each other, the companions of Musa cried out: Most surely we are being overtaken.” (Holy Quran, 26:61)
However, Moses remained firm in his faith:
“He said: No! Indeed my Lord is with me; He will guide me (show me a way out).” (Holy Quran, 26:62)
And indeed, God helped Moses by parting the sea for them to pass through and drowning Pharaoh and his army.
In the wake of the 12-day U.S.-Israeli-imposed war on Iran and assassination attempts against the Leader, his ring carries profound messages. Ayatollah Khamenei has time and again made direct references to this verse. Over five years ago, he elaborately explained this verse’s lesson: the importance of resisting despair, even when external circumstances appear as though there is no way out. He emphasized that through steadfast determination, unwavering faith, strategic thinking, and correct planning, the Iranian nation can overcome every enemy plot—the plots from all fronts that make some think they have been cornered.
Furthermore, it is a reminder that the Iranian nation became victorious because it was God who came through first and foremost. This is also a warning to the enemies not to misread the battlefield and assume they are primarily fighting ballistic missiles. No, it is ultimately God that is on the battlefield when war is waged against the Islamic Republic of Iran. And the reason for this conviction was also cited by the Leader during the meeting; Ayatollah Khamenei strongly asserted:
“And everyone should know that… ‘Allah will surely help those who help Him’ (Holy Quran 22:40). Almighty God has guaranteed victory for the nation of Iran under the Islamic system and beneath the umbrella of the Quran and Islam, and guaranteed that the Iranian nation will certainly be victorious.”
His quote, “God has guaranteed victory for the Iranian nation,” was then displayed on banners across the capital, Tehran. Such explicit declarations are rare—Ayatollah Khamenei typically lets followers deduce lessons independently. Therefore, this direct pronouncement is yet another message: Iran has officially entered a phase that necessitates unfiltered fearlessness and faith.
The Leader’s message is dual-edged: a stark warning to enemies, and an emphatic declaration to the Iranian people—this truth must be held with conviction, never doubted. Perhaps, it also serves as a spiritual preparation for what is likely to come—expansion of the imperialist war against the region.
Another angle from which one can examine this verse is what had transpired during the 12 days. Washington and Tel Aviv have strived for decades for so-called “regime change” in Iran by propagating endless propaganda. The efforts toward collapsing Iran from within were not only unsuccessful but backfired immensely. This was another important point the Leader made during the meeting. Any group that hits a dead end while escaping the enemy can only anticipate its demise. However, the impossible—the complete opposite—happened to Prophet Moses and his companions; the sea was parted, and it was their enemies that fell! Similarly, not only did Iran not collapse from within, but it rose to an unprecedented level of societal strength and unity.
The youth—whom the Leader has long championed—confronted the Israeli aggression with unshakable resolve: streets overflowed with their defiant chants against the U.S. and Zionist regime, while their unwavering allegiance to Iran’s armed forces, the IRGC, and above all, the Leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, rang out as a unified cry of resistance. Women with incomplete hijab, whom outsiders would assume are against the Islamic Republic, were among the pioneers of fearlessly confronting the enemy by remaining present in Tehran despite evacuation threats and courageously voicing their devotion to the Leader amidst assassination threats.
The embodiment of this verse is an anomaly to the West, but a long-held strategy of the oppressed, yet faithful. Another example of this unwavering faith – this Tawakkul – is Yemen, a nation that holds onto its principled mission in countering U.S.-Saudi aggression and standing in solidarity with Palestine.
For over a decade, the Yemeni people have endured hardships—famine, poverty, and relentless enemy strikes—on a scale few nations could survive. Yet, they did not hesitate to begin military operations against the Israeli regime in solidarity with their Palestinian siblings. Yemen, led by the revolutionary Ansarullah movement, has asserted its authority over the Red Sea, keeping weapons, fuel, and other resources from reaching the Zionists. They downed numerous U.S. fighter jets and attacked the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. They have successfully struck deep into the occupied Palestinian territories, at the heart of Tel Aviv, and even at the Ben Gurion Airport on multiple occasions.
One cannot deny that between Yemen and the Zionists, it is the latter that holds more advanced weaponry, combat capabilities, and overall materialistic means. However, one also cannot deny that it is the former that has God on its side.
Of course, there are numerous other examples of unwavering faith in Allah – a complete observation of Tawakkul – in Islamic history. It was Tawakkul that led to the launch of the heroic Al-Aqsa Flood operation. It was total belief in the will of Allah that led to Hezbollah’s involvement not just in operation Al Aqsa Flood, but its very establishment, to the numerous confrontations it has had with the Zionist occupiers.
For the resistance axis, the moral of Prophet Moses’ account is not history—it is a living strategy. It is a lesson we can all learn and practice as a united Ummah. And should followers waver, Ayatollah Khamenei’s unwavering voice will remind them: “No! My Lord is with me.”
Roya Pour Bagher is a news writer based in Tehran, Iran.
