Iran's seminaries urge continued support for war, control of Strait of Hormuz

Alireza Arafi: Ayatollah Alireza Arafi serves as the head of Iran's seminaries and Friday Prayer Imam of Qom, with additional roles in national leadership bodies including past service on an interim council. A hardline cleric focused on ideological education and resistance, he frequently addresses contemporary challenges like technology, governance, and geopolitical confrontations in recent statements. In the reported news, he calls for full deterrence through control of the Strait of Hormuz as essential for lasting peace amid ongoing war support efforts. Iran's seminaries: Iran's seminaries form the country's primary network of Shia Islamic religious educational institutions, responsible for training clerics and shaping ideological discourse aligned with the Islamic Republic. Directed by Alireza Arafi, they actively engage in governance, education reform, and supporting the regime's resistance-oriented policies amid regional conflicts. In this news, the seminaries' leadership is publicly urging sustained backing for military actions and strategic positioning to achieve deterrence. War Rhetoric: Senior Iranian clerics have emphasized analyzing recent conflicts and highlighting perceived weaknesses in opposing powers as part of ongoing ideological mobilization. Clerical Role: Iran's seminaries under Arafi continue to position themselves as guardians of revolutionary ideology, calling for unity and resolve in support of national defense priorities. Strategic Positioning: Public statements from seminary leadership link sustained resistance and control over critical waterways to achieving broader deterrence goals in regional tensions.