Khomeini's Grandson On Hizbullah TV: Freedom Is A Core Iranian Value; Iran Was 'Subordinate' To Nasrallah – He Set Resistance Axis Policy

Memri

11-06-2025

On June 6, 2025, Ali Ahmad Khomeini, grandson of the leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, appeared on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah–Lebanon). He spoke about the core values of the Iranian people, saying that Iranians insist on the freedom to express their views, even when those views conflict with the official position of the state or with foreign powers. Khomeini explained that, whether or not it is fully realized, freedom of expression remains the Iranians' slogan. He added that when people say the Islamic Revolution still lives in the hearts of Iranians, it means that even its critics and rivals have not produced a more compelling slogan than that of its supporters.
Khomeini said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had claimed Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah determines the policies of the "Resistance Axis," and he affirmed this statement saying that Iran was, in fact, "subordinate" to Nasrallah and described it as being "at the tail of the Resistance and Hassan Nasrallah."
Ali Ahmad Khomeini: "The Iranians in particular are incapable of living in humiliation. This applies to most Islamic nations, but the Iranians are exceptional in this regard. Independence is very important to them. It's like oxygen, like air. The second thing is the freedom to be able to say what I want, even if it clashes with the position of the state or with domestic and foreign powers."
Reporter: "The West portrays it as if there is no such freedom in Iran. The opposite is true."
Khomeini: "Right, right..."
Reporter: "This is what distinguishes the Iranians..."
Khomeini: "What I want to say is that this is our slogan. In some cases, we have success, and in some cases not. But this is our slogan. When we say that the Revolution still lives in the hearts of the Iranians, it means that our dissenters and rivals do not have a better slogan than ours.
[...]
"[Netanyahu] said: 'We knew that the policies were decided by Nasrallah.' He said this to Trump. It means that the policies of the Resistance Axis in the region were in the hands of Hassan Nasrallah, and Iran was subordinate to Hassan Nasrallah. I know that this is true. Netanyahu was right."
Reporter: "So the Islamic Republic leaves the decision to the people it supports..."
Khomeini: "Yes."
Reporter: "It leaves them the decision to confront the occupation the way they see fit."
Khomeini: "We have fulfilled our minimal obligation. We were at the tail of the Resistance and Hassan Nasrallah."