Iran ''does not'' have proxies in the Middle East and ''does not need them,'' said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, two weeks after the fall of long-time ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Syria has long played a strategic role in Tehran’s 'axis of resistance,' an informal alliance of armed groups united in opposition to Israel. This alliance includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Shiite militias in Iraq and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Bashar al-Assad’s Syria was a key link in this anti-Israeli 'axis of resistance.'

"They [the Americans] keep saying that the Islamic Republic has lost its proxies with Assad’s fall in Syria," Khamenei said during a speech in Tehran. "This is a mistake," he argued. "The Islamic Republic has no proxies in the Middle East," Khamenei added, explaining that Tehran’s allies fight for their own convictions, "not as surrogates for Iran."

Iran has been heavily involved in Syria under Assad, providing political, financial and military support, including what Tehran has described as 'military advisors' to bolster Assad’s forces and combat ISIS jihadism.

The takeover in Syria by a coalition dominated by the radical Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is seen as a setback for Iran, coinciding with Hezbollah's weakened position following its war with Israel in Lebanon. Khamenei predicted the "emergence of a strong and honorable group" in Syria, claiming that the youth "have nothing to lose." It remains unclear whether his comments implied a future attempt to overturn the coalition that ended five decades of Assad family rule.

Khamenei, who has the final say on all strategic decisions in Iran, also accused the United States — Tehran’s arch-enemy — of seeking to create chaos within Iran. "The Iranian nation will trample underfoot anyone who plays the role of a mercenary for America in this regard," Khamenei asserted.