A firebrand senior ayatollah in Iran has described opposition to the US “a religious obligation” and and emphasized that “it is essential to fight the West on all fronts.”

Ahmad Alamolhoda, who is the father-in-law of President Ebrahim Raisi, said during his Friday prayer sermon that Iran should cut off all ties with the United States and Western countries, including in the areas of technological innovation and economic development.

In his remarks, the ultraconservative loyalist of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei lauded the government's “recently developed economic ties with the East.”

Khamenei has been a staunch opponent of the West during his 34-year rule and since 2018 has proclaimed a policy of establishing closer ties with Russia and China.

Official propaganda by the regime heralds the ultimate weakening of the US and the downfall of the West.

There has been exponential growth in the Iran-Russia alliance since Moscow invaded Ukraine. Iran supplied hundreds of Kamikaze drones to Russia during the conflict to inflict massive damage on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets.

On Monday the EU brought sanctions against Iranians involved in the manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by Russia in Ukraine.

Iran and Russia are strengthening their relationship at a time when the conflict in Gaza is likely to divert international attention from the war in Ukraine while at the same time weakening the military assistance provided by Western countries to Kyiv.

Last week during a meeting in the Kremlin Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin celebrated the "start of a new chapter" in their bilateral relationship.