Iran’s supreme leader calls for national unity ‘to thwart enemy's plots’

Mojtaba Khamenei says ‘enemy has been defeated militarily and is now trying to reverse course by sowing differences’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Iranians Thursday “to preserve national unity” and “reject divisions” in order to thwart what he described as “enemy attempts” to destabilize the country. In a message marking the 37th anniversary of the death of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei stressed the importance of maintaining cohesion among the public and government officials, according to the Mehr News Agency. “The enemy is waging a hybrid war against the country comprising both military and psychological warfare,” he said, without explicitly mentioning the US and Israel. “The enemy has been defeated militarily and is now trying to reverse course by sowing differences and division among the Iranian nation to achieve its sinister goals,” he said. Khamenei stressed that preserving unity among the Iranian people and state institutions was essential “to thwart the enemy’s plots.” This week, the US and Iran exchanged some of their most intense hostilities since their ceasefire took effect in early April. Iran launched missiles and drones targeting US military installations across the region as well as Kuwait International Airport, resulting in one fatality. Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people. Tehran, in retaliation, has targeted Israel and Gulf countries that host US bases and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipping. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, and efforts to reach a broader agreement have continued since then. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he is very close to signing an end-of-war agreement that reopens the Strait of Hormuz, dismantles Iran’s nuclear work and eliminates the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium.