Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is accusing the United States of covertly supporting Israel’s escalating attacks against Hezbollah.

“In this conflict, the enemy wields cutting-edge resources, with the United States standing firmly behind it,” Khamenei spewed in a televised address on Wednesday. “The US assertion of being unaware and uninvolved in Israel’s actions is patently false.”

For its part, the White House has attempted to distance itself from several attacks against Iran and its terror proxies in recent months, widely believed to be Israeli operations. These include the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, and the explosion of communication devices last week which maimed and blinded hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists.

Khamenei’s accusation comes as Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian concludes his three-day US visit following his UN General Assembly debut, where he struck a less confrontational tone towards the West.

In his speech, the Supreme Leader also rebuffed critics claiming the country has become isolated under his leadership.

“Some from within say that the Islamic Republic is at odds with the world, that it’s not on speaking terms with the world. This is untrue. Today, we are in contact and interact with countries where half of the world’s population lives,” Khamenei said, referring to Iran’s strong relations with China and Russia.

Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon, of course, wasn’t buying the act, accusing Iran’s new president of deception.

“Pezeshkian is lying and unfortunately some people are buying it. I think that he knows how to play the game. And he played the game with the media, with the diplomats here,” Danon told Iran International. “But when you look at the actions of the regime, the human rights abuses in Iran, the proxies that attack Israel and other forces of instability, you realize it’s a dangerous regime. He’s a…”

Consequently, despite President Pezeshkian’s potentially hopeful rhetoric, whether sincere or not, it ultimately holds little weight. Under Iran’s authoritarian theocracy, all significant foreign policy decisions remain firmly in Khamenei’s hands. Inside analysts doubt that the 85-year-old ayatollah will allow a softer approach with the West, considering for 35 years he has long advocated resisting the “Great American Satan” with a doctrine of terror.