Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday accused enemy powers of trying to create internal division in Iran following the recent conflict and continuing economic pressure on the country.
The remarks came as peace negotiations between Iran and the United States remained deadlocked and fresh exchanges of fire tested a fragile ceasefire.
“The enemy's plan and scheme, following the imposed war, economic pressures, and the advertising and political siege, is to create division and social disintegration in order to compensate for the defeats in the military field and to bring the nation to its knees,” Khamenei said in a statement carried by his official media channel.
He also called on Iran’s political leadership to work closely with the government to address economic and social concerns. Khamenei urged efforts to improve livelihoods, control inflation and price rises, revive production and employment, advance science and industry, and combat financial corruption.
Reports said Mojtaba Khamenei is operating from a secret location and communicating through a network of messengers following the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
According to the reports, several senior Iranian officials have also spent weeks inside fortified bunkers with limited direct contact due to security concerns.
The US-Israeli strikes reportedly killed thousands of people and triggered retaliatory Iranian attacks across West Asia. Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.