Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that Iran’s adversaries are increasingly relying on what he described as “hybrid warfare” in an effort to weaken national cohesion, following what he called a “decisive blow” inflicted on the country’s enemies in both military and political arenas.
In a message released on his official X account and carried by Iranian state media, Mojtaba Khamenei said hostile forces had shifted strategy after failing in direct confrontation. He argued that their current focus was on undermining Iran internally by fostering mistrust, fear and division among citizens and by attempting to distort the judgement of state officials.
“The malicious enemy has been defeated in its confrontation with the armed forces,” the message stated, adding that the adversary was now attempting to exploit psychological and social vulnerabilities. He described this approach as targeting “the resilience of the Iranian people” while simultaneously seeking to “create errors in the assessments of the country’s officials”.
He urged unity and vigilance, saying such tactics could only be countered through “steadfastness, insight, preserving unity and cohesion”, and warned that any action generating public pessimism or disappointment amounted to indirect support for Iran’s adversaries.
The message also contained sharply worded geopolitical framing, alleging that the United States had facilitated the creation of Israel as a long-standing military foothold in the region, and rejected the legitimacy of what he referred to as a broader strategic project of “Greater Israel”.
The remarks were delivered on the anniversary of the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, during a ceremony at his mausoleum in Tehran. Notably, this year’s commemoration featured an empty chair bearing the portrait of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has traditionally addressed the annual event in person.
The gathering was attended by officials and supporters who displayed Iranian flags alongside banners of Hezbollah.