The official account of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, declared his nation victorious in what he called the "Third Sacred Defense" of Iran.

Khamenei was chosen as the Iranian supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in the first U.S.-Israeli strikes of the war. His own vital status is the subject of dispute, and he has not appeared in public throughout the conflict. His official X account, however, has issued a number of statements attributed to him.

"Today, up to this point in the epic Third Sacred Defense, it can be said with complete confidence that you, the heroic nation of Iran, are the definite victors in this battlefield," he said. The "Third Sacred Defense" appears to be his categorization of the Iran war, which is currently paused for a two-week ceasefire as negotiators seek to reach a permanent agreement.

Khamenei further urged the Gulf States to abandon their support of the U.S. and to seek rapprochement with Tehran to secure a lasting peace.

"I say to Iran’s southern neighbors: you are witnessing a miracle. So observe closely, understand matters correctly, stand on the right side, and be distrusful [sic] of the false promises of the devils," he said. "We’re still waiting for an appropriate response from you, our southern neighbors, so that we may demonstrate our brotherhood and goodwill to you. This will not be realized unless you renounce the Arrogant Powers, who miss no opportunity to humiliate and exploit you."

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.