The hostage release and Gaza cease-fire agreement took effect on Sunday, with the Iranian-Shiite axis continuing its rhetoric of boasting and threats. Despite significant setbacks in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere, "victory speeches" persist in Iran and elsewhere.
Footage from Iranian underground base
"The people of Gaza stand firm like a mountain. Despite the loss of figures like Yahya Sinwar, the resistance front will not falter. Hamas is alive and will remain alive,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on X in Hebrew. He attached a video showing Hamas terrorists and the release of three Israeli hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian added: "We congratulate the resilient people of Gaza and Palestine on this victory. The Palestinian people stood with strength and dignity against Israel and achieved a great accomplishment."
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei declared that "the Gaza cease-fire is a complete defeat for the Zionist entity and its allies, another example of the triumph of resistance and confrontation against the occupation."
Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri called the cease-fire a sign of Israel’s "collapse of authority" and an "important turning point for the region and the Islamic world." He claimed, "The resistance axis emerged victorious, imposing this agreement on the enemy."
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani also claimed that Israel "was forced to accept Hamas's terms, the same ones it proposed in earlier negotiations." Meanwhile, Iranian outlets showcased military capabilities, with the Tasnim news agency revealing a strategic naval base and Mehr agency highlighting new defense systems added to Iran's navy.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, a military drill began in the Kermanshah region of western Iran on Tuesday and will last nine days. The drills aim to enhance military readiness, demonstrate the forces' defensive capabilities, improve regional security and signal the army's readiness to defend Iran.
Hezbollah, which reached its own agreement with Israel nearly two months ago, echoed similar sentiments. In an official statement, it praised the cease-fire as a "political and military victory" that demonstrated Israel’s failure to achieve its goals.
It thanked Iran, Iraqi resistance factions and the Houthis, reaffirming its commitment to supporting Palestinians "until the occupation ends."
Footage from Iranian underground base
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In Yemen, the Houthis hailed the agreement as a "historic victory," vowing to monitor its implementation and confront any Israeli escalation. "We will limit attacks in the Red Sea to Israeli-linked vessels," the terror group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, while reaffirming ongoing support for the Palestinian cause.
Hezbollah’s acting Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who replaced Hassan Nasrallah after he was killed during the war, said in a recorded speech that the "Palestinian resistance achieved its goals, while Israel failed to meet its objectives. Violations by Israel cannot continue and our patience toward them is given to allow time for Lebanon and the mediators. I warn them not to test our patience."