- The Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, called on Sunday for unity among Muslim countries in the face of the United States and Israel.
- The statement comes six months after the start of a conflict in the Middle East and the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during a US-Israeli offensive.
- He also urged Iranians to remain united and called for the de-dollarisation of the economy in response to tightened international sanctions.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s call for unity
The Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a solemn call on Sunday for Muslim countries to unite against the United States and Israel. This exhortation was made in a written message, six months after the start of an armed conflict in the Middle East and the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed on 28 February during the first day of a US-Israeli offensive against Iran. Since his succession, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public, and no images or audio recordings of him have been released by the authorities. According to his official website, the Ayatollah stated that “the solution to the problems of the Ummah (Muslim community) lies in unity of word, friendship, and cooperation on the path of good”. He also warned against any action that would lead to division among Muslims, stressing that such a move, whether intentional or not, would serve the objectives of the “enemies of Islam”.
Context of regional tensions and economic sanctions
In his statement, the Supreme Leader explicitly identified the United States and Israel as the “true enemies” of everyone, not just Iran, calling on regional leaders to “recognise their plan and fight it”. In response to the initial US-Israeli offensive, Tehran targeted Washington’s allies in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, leading to a deterioration in relations with these capitals. On the domestic front, Mojtaba Khamenei reiterated his call for Iranian officials and the public to move past their differences and unite against the country’s adversaries, insisting that they “must not allow differences to arise in any way” within the population. In a previous written statement on Friday, he had already deemed it “forbidden” to harm social cohesion. Finally, in the face of decades of international sanctions and a recent tightening announced on Monday by the United States, as well as months of naval blockade, the Supreme Leader advocated for the gradual de-dollarisation of the Iranian economy and the strengthening of national production.
