Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the “supreme leader” of Iran and commands the Iranian military. He is also at the forefront of supporting jihad against America. Many of his sermons are broadcast live on Iranian state-controlled TV.

The supreme leader frequently warns America against interfering with Iran’s nuclear program. On July 5, 2004, he said to a crowd chanting “Death to America,” “We will cut off the hand that is sent to invade and work against our people’s interests … If the enemy has the audacity to harm and invade, our blows against it will not be limited to the borders of our country.”

This past summer, Mr. Khamenei gave a speech broadcast on the Iranian channel Jaam-E-Jam 2 about the same subject: “The enemies of Iran – led by the most despicable of all, the U.S. government … opened their filthy mouths … We have no need for a nuclear bomb … The Iranian people have been defeating America for the past 25 years. The world of Islam has been mobilized against America for the past 25 years. The people call ‘death to America!'”

In response to President Bush’s State of the Union address on February 3, Mr. Khamenei called America “one of the lands of a Seven-Headed Dragon.” As the main propagator of anti-Americanism, the supreme leader often compares Mr. Bush to Adolf Hitler and America to Nazi Germany. An article was devoted to this subject in the Persian daily Jomhour-e Eslami, paraphrasing comments made the week of August 30, 2002, by Mr. Khamenei: “The language of the U.S. president resembles the language of Hitler. … If Hitler had to show the face of a bloodthirsty dictator, he would have had to adopt [the face of] George W. Bush.”

The article continued, describing Mr. Khamenei’s philosophy that America is the modern incarnation of Nazi Germany: “There is a great resemblance between the behavior of today’s Americans and the behavior of the Nazis. … The Americans are infected today with satanic pride and arrogant egotism … Bush is heading towards a dead end on the same path on which the dictators who caused the two world wars.”

Mr. Khamenei is confident that America will soon collapse. He was quoted in Jomhour-e Eslami on May 20, 2004, stating that “the end of the U.S. will begin in Iraq. As the imam said, ‘One day the U.S., too, will be history.’ In light of what happened in Iraq, we can see now that he is right, because such events move the U.S. down the slope, and they will taste the bitterness of sure defeat.”

One of the supreme leader’s weapons to be used to defeat America is jihad by students who are willing to become martyrs. Speaking to a group of students in the first week of 2005, the Iranian newspaper Sharq quoted Mr. Khamenei calling on them to embrace jihad: “The enemies of Iran tried to humiliate and diminish the value of martyrdom and the culture of jihad in the eyes of the youth, particularly students. … This is the same wondrous element that gives those fighting jihad for the path of truth the strength to overcome any scheme of the front of hostility.”

On January 20, urging students to continue to promote the culture of jihad and martyrdom amongst themselves, he stated: “When we encounter the name of a student who committed martyrdom we are confident that the acceptance of martyrdom and of the jihad that led to this martyrdom stemmed from self-awareness. … This intensifies the value of the act. Sanctify and praise your exalted martyrs.”

In an address broadcast on Iranian TV on October 22, 2004, Mr. Khamenei explained: “Jihad means to strive for the lofty values. … Whoever fights for these values … Allah’s angels point to him in heaven. Do not consider those who are slain in the cause of Allah as dead. … When this great nation, with its zealous and faithful youth … resist the enemy … it will let it taste defeat once more.”

Threats against America by leading Iranian officials have become a common occurrence. Over the next few months, this column will focus further on them.

Mr. Stalinsky is the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute.