TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a resolute call for solidarity across the Islamic world, emphasizing that the hostile policies of Western imperialism threaten all regional states. 

In a message marking Unity Week on Sunday, he said the oppressive rulers of the United States and Israel harbor deep-seated animosity not merely toward Iran, but toward the entirety of the Muslim world.  

Framing Islamic unity as the ultimate defense against foreign intervention, Ayatollah Khamenei urged regional governments—particularly those in West Asia—to recognize their real adversary, expose its divide-and-rule tactics, and stand firm against its schemes.  

“The remedy for the problems of the Muslim Ummah lies in unity of purpose, friendship, and cooperation in the pursuit of goodness and righteousness,” the Leader declared, identifying the main barriers to genuine peace. He added, “The criminal rulers of the United States and the illegitimate Zionist regime are sworn enemies of this unity and friendship.” Underscoring that imperialist aggression targets every sovereign Muslim nation regardless of its political alignment, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that “They are not merely enemies of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian nation, and the great front of Islamic resistance; they are hostile to the entire Muslim Ummah, including the nations of West Asia and North Africa. In this regard, even the rulers of these states—many of whom are considered their allies—are not exempt,” the Leader highlighted. 

Pointing to Iran as an inspiring model of resilience, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the Iranian people have successfully demonstrated how solidarity can defeat external subversion, keeping the nation strong against decades of foreign plots. “But surely, the ill-wishers are always lying in wait for this great blessing. What gives them hope is the highlighting of differences. Although ideological and religious differences constitute an important part of what the enemies of Islam seek to exploit, and they place great reliance on using them, they will not stop there,” he noted, unmasking the deceptive strategies of Western powers. “They seek to turn all kinds of racial, cultural, social, economic, political, and geographical differences into pretexts for creating division among Muslim peoples in Iran and in every other Islamic country, so that they can sit back and watch the Muslim Ummah become fragmented, and its strength gradually depleted, and then, at an opportune moment, impose their domination over them.”  

Exposing these sinister designs, the Leader issued a clear warning against any action or rhetoric that weakens the collective strength of the Ummah. “Therefore, anyone, in whatever position, who takes any action that leads to division among Muslims or creates discord within the Muslim community has, knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, furthered the aims of the enemies of Islam,” he said. Contrasting the deceptive promises of global hegemony with the harsh realities of foreign interference, Ayatollah Khamenei asked: “And how, in these times, can anyone attribute such an act to ignorance or negligence, when the tyrants of the world, led by the criminal US, have now cast aside the deceptive and flimsy masks concealing their ugly colonial aims and their hegemonic and domination-seeking schemes, removed their deceptive velvet gloves, and revealed their bloodstained claws to the entire world?”  

Highlighting the urgent need for a unified stance, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that it is high time for the people and leaders of the Islamic world to reexamine regional developments with greater vigilance. “If Muslims had stood united, with their fists clenched firmly together, would the Palestinian nation have been left so defenseless, subjected to the oppression and crimes of the occupiers?  “And if the people and governments of the countries bordering the Persian Gulf had forged their unity under the banner of Islam, would these rootless and corrupt rabble have dared, from thousands of kilometers away, to have greedy eyes on their lands and possessions?” 

Outlining the path toward a self-reliant and powerful Islamic world, the Leader described “unity and the avoidance of discord” as the first lesson of Islam’s school of thought.  “The second lesson is to defend one another against disbelief, and the third is to pursue various forms of cooperation and synergy in the different dimensions of Muslims’ material spiritual lives—including wealth, security, knowledge, and progress. The culmination of this path will be the attainment of a new Islamic civilization,” he said.  

Moreover, Ayatollah Khamenei said “unity among Muslims is the fundamental cornerstone for achieving a proud and dominant Islamic civilization.”  “This conceptual and intellectual framework, which embodies our aspirations for the Muslim world, has itself been realized to a considerable extent in our beloved Iran.” 

Concluding his message with a call for unwavering national resolve, he urged all Iranians to safeguard their enduring harmony and never allow any form of division or discord to take root among them under any circumstances. 

The statements by Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei hold profound geopolitical and ideological weight, delivering a direct challenge to Western influence at a pivotal moment for West Asia. Coming in the critical context of the major joint US-Israeli war launched on February 28, these remarks serve as a comprehensive ideological counter-offensive designed to reframe the nature of the broader regional confrontation.  By framing Western military actions not as a localized dispute with Iran, but as an existential threat to the broader Islamic world, the Leader highlights a calculated strategy by Washington and Tel Aviv to drive deep wedges between Islamic states. The US and Israel have systematically sought to exploit sectarian, political, and geographic fault lines to pit neighboring Arab and Muslim nations directly against Iran, aiming to fragment regional resistance and keep neighboring states dependent on Western security guarantees. However, Ayatollah Khamenei’s address exposes the fundamental flaw in relying on foreign powers, demonstrating that the United States cannot guarantee the security, sovereignty, or long-term protection of Arab states. Instead, foreign military bases and Western interference act as catalysts for perpetual instability, designed to drain the collective wealth and energy of the Islamic community while serving imperialist interests. 

Ultimately, the Leader’s message underscores that true security cannot be imported from foreign capitals. For lasting peace, independence, and stability to take root across West Asia and North Africa, foreign imperialist forces—led by the United States—must completely vacate the region. Only through the total removal of foreign interference and the establishment of a self-reliant, unified front can Muslim nations safeguard their resources, defend Palestinian rights, and pave the way for a sovereign and dominant Islamic civilization.