Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the United States and Israel were seeking to destabilise the Islamic republic in a written message read on state television.
"The enemy's blind plan, after the imposed war, the economic pressure, and the political and propaganda siege, is to create divisions and disintegration in order to compensate for military defeats and bring the nation to its knees," said Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since before he took office in March.
In his message, which marked the anniversary of the founding of the Islamic republic's national legislature, he further called for unity and "cohesion" among Iranians.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, succeeded his father, the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in the opening US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which sparked a war across the region.
Other sources add:
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called on people from all walks of life to preserve national unity, saying Iran’s enemies were trying to create division and social unrest to pressure the country after failing in other areas.
In a written message issued at the opening of the new session of Iran’s parliament, Iranian media reported that Khamenei said hostile powers had already used war, economic pressure, propaganda, and sanctions against Iran but were now attempting to spread internal discord to weaken the nation.
“The enemy seeks to compensate for its failures on the battlefield by creating division and forcing the Iranian nation to surrender,” he said in the statement marking the opening of parliament, which was first established on May 28, 1980.
The Iranian leader also congratulated the nation on Eid ul Adha and the start of the new parliamentary session, while praising parliament members and especially Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for their efforts in serving the country.
Referring to recent tensions involving Iran and the United States, Khamenei said the Iranian people had demonstrated loyalty, hope, and resilience through their actions, sending a clear message to both allies and rivals.
He added that national unity and solidarity remained among the key strengths of the Islamic Republic and described them as vital elements in confronting what he called Iran’s “worst enemies.”