Iran's Khamenei Urges Gulf Unity, Defends Rule From Written Messages
· World · Times of India, Reuters, NBC News
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in a written message published on his Telegram account on Sunday, urged Gulf rulers to identify their "real enemy" and unite in mutual defence, coinciding with the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Khamenei has not appeared in public since he was injured in US-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that killed his father and former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered an ongoing war. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier this month that Khamenei is "completely healthy", though his exact location has not been disclosed. The appeal comes as Iran faces economic strain from the war with the US and Western sanctions, with Khamenei separately calling on his government to address inflation, unemployment and price management. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Iranian leaders in Tehran on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi describing those talks as "creative".
Why it matters
The message signals Iran's effort to rally Gulf states against a shared adversary while navigating a war with the US and sanctions-driven economic strain, with India watching closely as a major buyer of Iranian crude and a stakeholder in regional stability across the Strait of Hormuz.
Read the original report — Times of India
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