[Aljazeera] In his first Friday sermon delivery since 2012, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defended the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid a growing backlash after it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing all 176 people on board.Khamenei's address comes as Iran and its rulers face intense pressure at home and abroad after the United States assassinated General Qassem Soleimani, former leader of the elite Quds Force, and public anger erupted at Iran's military after its accidental downing of the commercial airliner soon after it took off from Tehran on January 8.
The Iranian leader's statement drew a quick response from US President Donald Trump, who on Friday evening wrote on social media: "He should be very careful with his words."