Iranian leader urges Gulf rulers to overcome divisions and strengthen cooperation among Muslim countries

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called on Muslim countries, particularly Gulf states, to unite and work together against what he described as their “real enemy.”

Khamenei made the call in a written message released on his Telegram account during Islamic Unity Week, which marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.

He urged Muslim countries to strengthen unity, cooperate in different areas and support one another, warning that actions that create division among Muslims could serve the interests of their adversaries.

Khamenei also pointed to the situation of Palestinians, questioning whether they would have been left “so helpless” if Muslims had been united.

In his message to Gulf Arab rulers, he asked whether those he described as “rogues without identity” would have dared to seek control of their lands and resources if the peoples and governments of the Gulf had been united under Islam.

“My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf, is to identify your real enemy, understand his plan and confront it,” he said.

His comments come amid longstanding tensions between Iran and Gulf Arab monarchies. Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, several Gulf states have regarded Tehran’s revolutionary ideology and regional influence as a threat to their political systems.

The current conflict has further increased tensions, with Tehran carrying out strikes against U.S. military facilities and other infrastructure in Gulf states.

Khamenei’s latest call for unity also follows remarks he made to Iranians on Friday, when he said he had prohibited actions that could damage social cohesion and called on authorities to avoid statements that could weaken national and public morale.

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since he was injured in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that triggered the Iran war and killed his father and predecessor as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The message was issued as Muslim communities observe Islamic Unity Week, placing renewed emphasis on cooperation and solidarity among Muslim countries.

Source: Reuters