What did Mojtaba Khamenei tell Gulf Arab rulers in his message for Islamic Unity Week?

He urged rulers in the Gulf and other Muslim countries to unite, cooperate and defend one another against what he called their real enemy. He said Muslims should identify that enemy, understand the plan and confront it.

Why did Khamenei say Muslim unity matters in the Gulf and West Asia?

He argued that divisions among Muslims serve their adversaries and weaken collective defense. He said a united Islamic world would not leave Palestinians so helpless and would make outsiders less willing to covet Gulf lands and possessions.

What recent context surrounded Khamenei's appeal for unity?

He has not been seen in public since being injured in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that launched the Iran war. His call also echoed a Friday statement to Iranians in which he said he had banned actions that harm social cohesion and warned against discouraging statements that weaken morale.

Iran's Khamenei urges Gulf rulers in written message to confront 'real enemy'

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Summary

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged Muslim countries, especially Gulf rulers, to unite against what he called their real enemy in a message published on Telegram for Islamic Unity Week. He said divisions among Muslims help their adversaries and called for cooperation and mutual defence. He also linked the appeal to the Palestinian issue and to tensions between Iran and Gulf Arab states.

Key Facts

The message was published on Khamenei's Telegram account for Islamic Unity Week, which marks the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
Khamenei said anyone who creates divisions among Muslims, knowingly or unknowingly, helps Islam's enemies.
He asked whether Palestinians would have been left so helpless if Muslims had been united.
He said Gulf Arab rulers should identify their real enemy, understand his plan and confront it.

By Reuters

Published Aug 30, 2026 4:04 pm KST
Updated Aug 30, 2026 4:22 pm KST

A woman walks past anti-U.S. graffiti and images depicting the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei painted on a wall along Islamic Revolution street in downtown Tehran, Iran, Aug. 29. AP-Yonhap

TEHRAN — Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged Muslim countries, particularly those in the Gulf, to unite against what he called their "real enemy" and said divisions among Muslims served the interests of their adversaries.

The message was published on Khamenei's Telegram account for Islamic Unity Week, which marks the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.

It called for Muslim unity, cooperation in various fields and mutual defence, saying anyone who creates divisions among Muslims, "knowingly or unknowingly," helps Islam's enemies.

It asked whether Palestinians would have been left "so helpless" if Muslims had been united.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since being injured in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that launched the Iran war, killing his father and previous supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His call for unity echoes a statement he made on Friday to Iranians, when he said he had banned actions that harm social cohesion and urged authorities to avoid "discouraging statements" that weaken national and public morale.

A still image from undated archive footage released by Iranian media WANA on Aug. 24 shows Mojtaba Khamenei attending a meeting before he assumed the role of Iran's Supreme Leader, at an unknown location. Reuters-Yonhap

Khamenei specifically asked Gulf Arab rulers whether "rogues without identity" would have dared to covet their lands and possessions if the peoples and governments of the Gulf had been "united under the flag of Islam."

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Gulf Arab monarchies have viewed Iran's revolutionary ideology, including its anti-monarchic rhetoric and regional influence, as a threat to their political systems.

During the present conflict, Tehran has struck U.S. military facilities as well as other infrastructure in Gulf states, underscoring the tensions between Tehran and its Gulf neighbours.

"My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf, is to identify your real enemy, understand his plan and confront it," Khamenei said.

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