Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called on Muslim countries, especially the Persian Gulf states, to unite in the face of what he described as "their real enemy." According to him, divisions among Muslim countries and peoples directly serve the interests of their opponents.
Khamenei's message was published on his Telegram account on the occasion of Islamic Unity Week, which marks the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. In the statement, he called for strengthening unity among Muslims, cooperation in various fields and mutual protection.
According to the Iranian leader, any attempt to create division among Muslims, “consciously or unconsciously,” serves the enemies of Islam. He also raised the Palestinian issue, asking whether the Palestinians would have been left “so helpless” if Muslim countries had been united.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was injured in US-Israeli airstrikes about six months ago, which marked the start of Iran's war and took the life of his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The latest call for unity comes just a day after Khamenei addressed the Iranian people, declaring that he had stopped actions that could harm social cohesion. He also urged authorities to avoid "discouraging statements" that could weaken national and public morale.
In his message, the Iranian leader specifically addressed the Arab rulers of the Persian Gulf. He asked whether “faceless fraudsters” would have dared to covet their lands and wealth if the peoples and governments of the Gulf were “united under the banner of Islam.”
Relations between Iran and the Gulf Arab monarchies have been tense for decades. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Gulf Arab states have viewed Iran's revolutionary ideology, its anti-monarchical rhetoric, and its expanding regional influence as threats to their political systems.
Tensions have also escalated during the current conflict, with Tehran striking US military targets as well as infrastructure in several Gulf states. This has increased concerns in the region and deepened the clash between Iran and its Arab neighbors.
"My strong and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf, is to identify their real enemy, understand his plan and confront him," Khamenei declared.
