Iran's supreme leader accuses US and Israel of waging 'hybrid war' to divide the nation, calls for unity

A message delivered in absence

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a sharp denunciation of the United States and Israel on Thursday, 4 June, accusing both nations of waging a 'hybrid war' aimed at dividing Iranian society. The statement was read by a spokesman during a ceremony at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran, marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Republic founder's death. Khamenei himself was not present; state television showed an empty chair bearing his portrait, alongside images of his late father, Ali Khamenei, and Khomeini.

The malicious enemy, after suffering defeats and, especially, after receiving decisive blows both in the military field and in the social and political sphere, is experiencing a deep and significant humiliation.

The hybrid war accusation

Khamenei's message framed the current moment as a battle for national resilience. He claimed the enemy's strategy now focuses on two objectives: weakening the resistance of the Iranian people and inducing errors in the calculations of the country's officials. The primary tool, he wrote, is 'sowing the seeds of doubt, despair, fear, mistrust and division' across different social strata.

The enemy, after suffering a military failure and experiencing a deep humiliation, is now waging a hybrid war focused on two aspects: the people's resilience and misleading the country's officials in their calculations.

He urged Iranians to respond with 'firmness, clarity of vision, unity, cohesion and mutual trust,' and warned against echoing the enemy's narrative. Public officials received a specific admonition: any action causing pessimism or frustration among the population would constitute 'a form of assistance to the enemy of this country and its people.'

A succession marked by war

Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran's third supreme leader in early March, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed on 28 February during the first day of a joint US-Israeli military offensive against Iran. The younger Khamenei reportedly suffered only light injuries in the attack, according to Iranian leadership, but has not made a single public appearance since his appointment. All his communications have been written statements attributed to him, fueling speculation about his health.

The domination system, which created a garrison called Israel nearly 80 years ago, does not accept the existence of a strong and independent Iran, endowed with various advantages, on the eastern border of the false and fictitious geography of 'Greater Israel' — east of the Euphrates.

Ceremony and symbolism

Thousands gathered at the Khomeini mausoleum for the commemoration, waving flags of the Islamic Republic and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, a group backed financially, politically, and militarily by Tehran. Traditionally, the 4 June ceremony had been addressed in person by Ali Khamenei every year since 1989. This year, the empty chair with his portrait underscored the rupture caused by the war.

Regional conflict and fragile truce

The US-Israeli offensive that began on 28 February triggered a regional war. Iran responded with rocket and drone attacks on Israel, several Gulf states, and US facilities in the region. Tehran also blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global hydrocarbons transit, sending oil prices sharply higher. A ceasefire has been in place since 8 April, but it remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violations. Talks aimed at a permanent end to the conflict have so far stalled. The war has caused thousands of deaths, particularly in Iran and Lebanon, which was drawn into the conflict through Hezbollah's attacks on Israel in solidarity with Tehran.