A statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei calls on Muslim countries to unite against those he described as his ‘true enemies’ — the US and Israel. The message was published on 30 August on Khamenei’s Telegram channel.
The text appeared during Islamic Unity Week, which coincides with the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
The address also calls on the rulers of the Gulf states to present a united front against the United States and Israel. However, many Arab monarchies in the region regard Tehran as a threat and host American troops on their territory. During the war, Iran carried out strikes against American military facilities and other infrastructure in several of these countries.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since he was reportedly wounded in US and Israeli air strikes six months ago. It is claimed that his father and predecessor as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in those strikes.
Since the start of the war in late February, no audio or video statements have been released by him, which has only fuelled speculation about his condition.
Unverified reports claim that he suffered severe injuries, whilst US President Donald Trump stated on 27 August that, in his view, Khamenei was still alive but ‘very seriously injured’.
This latest address came just a few days after another message, also attributed to Khamenei. It stated that any ‘signs of weakness’ should be banned in Iran, as these would ‘undermine social cohesion’ and be ‘a great help to the enemy’, whilst US sanctions continue to inflict damage on the country.