Why the Islamic Republic’s Founding Leader Believed Zionism Threatened the Entire Middle East — and Why His Warnings Are Resurfacing Amid Today’s Escalating Conflict
The words of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini — revolutionary leader, thinker, and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran — continue to ripple through global discourse decades after his passing. As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict spirals into a broader Middle Eastern confrontation, many are revisiting his warnings with renewed urgency.
At a recent international conference titled “Imam Khomeini and the Palestinian Cause”, hosted in Tehran, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s leadership and Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, delivered a message that reignited Khomeini’s stark caution: “Palestine was only the beginning of the Zionist project.”
But why do these words — issued more than 40 years ago — resonate so loudly now?
Imam Khomeini: A Vision Beyond Borders
Khomeini was not merely a religious leader. He was a political visionary. From the earliest days of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, he framed Zionism as not just a territorial occupation, but a global strategy designed to fracture the unity of the Muslim world.
His ideological position placed Israel not as a lone actor, but as a geopolitical pawn of what he called the “Global Arrogance” — a term referring chiefly to Western hegemonic powers, particularly the United States. In his worldview, the West’s support for the Israeli regime was part of a broader scheme to suppress the Islamic world economically, politically, and spiritually.
“The occupation of Palestine,” he warned, “is not the final aim. The Zionists seek to enslave the Arab world in totality.”
Camp David to the Abraham Accords: Betrayal or Pragmatism?
Khomeini was unrelenting in his condemnation of normalization between Arab states and Israel. The 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to Egypt’s recognition of Israel, were seen by him as a betrayal of Islamic unity. Decades later, when the Abraham Accords brought the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan into the normalization fold, Iran’s leadership, echoing Khomeini, again cried foul.
From this ideological lens, these treaties are not simply diplomatic milestones; they are tools of legitimization. According to the narrative laid out at the Tehran conference, normalization enables further aggression by erasing moral accountability.
“Resistance,” Velayati emphasized in his speech, “is both a religious and civilizational imperative.”
Lebanon, Syria, and Beyond: The Spread of the Conflict
Khomeini’s assertion that Palestine would be only the start now seems eerily prophetic. In 2025, Israeli military operations have extended well beyond Gaza and the West Bank.
- Southern Lebanon: Repeated Israeli strikes against Hezbollah positions have intensified.
- Syria: Air raids targeting Iranian-linked infrastructure have become routine.
- Iraq and Yemen: Israeli intelligence activities and drone warfare have expanded, often drawing in proxy forces aligned with Tehran.
The Tehran conference used these patterns as evidence of Khomeini’s foresight — that Israel, backed by Western powers, would not stop at Palestinian land.
A Clash of Worldviews: Modern Zionism vs. Islamic Resistance
The ideological battle here isn’t just over land. It’s a civilizational contest between two competing visions:
- Zionist expansionism, as interpreted by Iranian authorities, is viewed as secular, settler-colonial, and reliant on Western military-industrial support.
- Islamic resistance, championed by Iran and groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, presents itself as anti-imperial, spiritually grounded, and pan-Islamic.
Khomeini’s vision shaped Iran’s foreign policy foundation: that any government or entity normalizing ties with Israel de-legitimizes the Islamic world’s collective struggle.
Why Now? Rising Tensions Demand Historical Context
In 2025, the region stands at a precipice. The conflict has escalated to direct military engagement between Iran and Israel — a dangerous phase with global implications.
Recent events include:
- Operation True Promise III, where Iran launched missile strikes on Israeli airbases.
- Israeli retaliatory airstrikes, reportedly reaching Tehran itself.
- Civil unrest and protests from London to Jakarta, denouncing Israeli military aggression.
In this climate, historical memory matters. Khomeini’s framing offers a strategic blueprint for Iran’s current stance — not merely as defense, but as ideological continuity.
Humanitarian Cost: Lost in Ideological Crossfire
While ideology dominates official rhetoric, the human toll cannot be ignored.
- Over 12,000 lives lost across the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon since January 2025.
- Refugee surges into Jordan and Egypt, straining international aid agencies.
- Severe shortages of medical supplies in besieged territories.
Critics argue that both sides — whether in Tehran or Tel Aviv — are weaponizing ideology at the expense of human life. But for Iran, the narrative holds: to resist is to survive. To yield is to die slowly under what they see as neocolonial domination.
The Global South Is Listening
Imam Khomeini’s ideas are gaining traction beyond Iran.
- South Africa, drawing on its anti-apartheid history, has intensified its anti-Israel rhetoric.
- Indonesia and Malaysia have condemned Israeli strikes, framing them as neo-imperial incursions.
- Latin American leaders, such as Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, have labeled Netanyahu a “21st-century Hitler.”
These sentiments echo Khomeini’s belief that Zionism is not just a regional problem, but a global imperial challenge.
Khomeini’s Ideology: A Source of Strength or Stagnation?
Here lies the paradox. For supporters, Khomeini’s doctrine offers moral clarity and resistance against foreign domination. For critics, it risks locking Iran — and its allies — in an endless cycle of conflict and isolation.
Yet, even critics concede the power of narrative. A nation or movement anchored in historical vision, however controversial, wields ideological resilience that purely transactional alliances lack.
Final Thoughts: Prophecy or Strategy?
As war drums beat louder in 2025, Khomeini’s voice — broadcast decades ago — continues to shape today’s decisions. Whether viewed as a prophet or a polemicist, his warning remains central to how Iran, and much of the Muslim world, interprets the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
In this narrative, Palestine is not merely a land but a line in the sand — one that divides colonial legacy from indigenous dignity, imperial ambition from Islamic solidarity.
The world watches. But for many in Iran and beyond, the script was written long ago.
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📚 References & Sources:
- Keddie, Nikki R. Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution. Yale University Press, 2006.
- Mearsheimer, John & Walt, Stephen. The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
- “Imam Khomeini’s View on the Israeli Regime,” Al-Islam.org, 2023.
- United Nations Human Rights Council Reports on Gaza, 2024–2025.
- International Crisis Group. “Middle East Conflict Tracker”, 2025 Reports.
Velayati, Ali Akbar. “Speech at International Conference on Imam Khomeini and the Palestinian Cause,” Tehran, June 2025.
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