Khamenei Invokes Jihad Rhetoric Against U.S., Israel as Iran Internet Blackout Deepens

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei used a series of posts on X Tuesday to describe Tehran’s war with the United States and Israel in terms one counterterrorism analyst called “jihad — sacred religious war,” even as ordinary Iranians remain largely cut off from the internet since the war began.

The contrast was striking: Iran’s top leader was speaking to the world on X, a platform blocked for many inside Iran, while millions of Iranians have been unable to freely read outside news, communicate with family, or share what is happening inside the country.

“Among the most valuable achievements of the Third Sacred Defense [against the American and Zionist invasion] is the emergence of Iran at the level of a major, influential power,” Khamenei wrote in one post.

Dr. Omar Mohammed, a counterterrorism analyst with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei’s words were more than political talk.

“Strip the euphemism away, and what Khamenei is invoking here is jihad — sacred religious war,” Mohammed said.

He said Iran’s leaders often use the phrase “Sacred Defense” to describe a war they believe carries religious duty and meaning.

“By framing the war with America and Israel this way, Khamenei is not describing a geopolitical conflict. He is declaring a holy war and casting it as a religious duty,” Mohammed added.

Khamenei’s comments came after President Donald Trump called off a planned U.S. strike on Iran on May 18, saying serious negotiations were underway with key Middle Eastern allies. However, Washington has continued to say it will not back away from its demand that Iran abandon any path toward nuclear weapons.

In another post, Khamenei urged Iran to increase its population as part of what he called building a “new Islamic-Iranian civilization.” Mohammed said the message shows that Iran’s leadership is not only focused on the battlefield, but also on spreading a broader religious and revolutionary vision.

“The fact that he is now speaking publicly as supreme leader — and that this substantive message is a call to jihad against America and the Jews — tells you what kind of leader he intends to be,” Mohammed said.

The internet blackout has become one of the clearest signs of the regime’s growing fear at home. Since the war began, Iranian authorities have heavily restricted internet access, making it harder for citizens to get reliable news, contact loved ones, organize protests, or show the world what is happening on the ground.

The shutdown has also hurt Iran’s already weakened economy. Businesses that depend on online sales, banking, communication, and shipping have been battered, adding to the pressure caused by war, sanctions, inflation, and isolation.

The internet blackout has lasted more than four months and is costing Iran’s economy roughly a quarter of a billion dollars per day.

The regime’s use of X while denying ordinary Iranians open access to the same platform highlights a familiar pattern: Tehran speaks loudly to the outside world while keeping its own people in the dark.

For Israel and the United States, Khamenei’s remarks will likely deepen concerns that Iran’s war is driven not only by military aims, but by the Islamic Republic’s long-standing ideology that casts America as the “Great Satan” and Israel as the “Little Satan” — enemies to be confronted, not merely negotiated with.

For Iran’s own people, the war has brought another painful burden: their leaders can broadcast their message worldwide, while many citizens remain trapped behind a digital wall.

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