Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has urged Muslim nations, particularly Gulf Arab states, to unite against what he described as their "real enemy," warning that internal divisions among Muslims only serve the interests of their adversaries. The message, published on his Telegram account to mark Islamic Unity Week, called for cooperation and mutual defence among Muslim countries, arguing that Palestinians would not have been left so vulnerable had Muslims stood united. The appeal comes amid long-standing tension between Tehran and Gulf monarchies, who have viewed Iran's revolutionary ideology as a threat since 1979.

Khamenei asked Gulf rulers whether "rogues without identity" would have dared threaten their territory had the region been united under Islam, and urged them to "identify your real enemy" and confront it. The message echoes remarks he made to Iranians on Friday about preserving social cohesion and morale. Khamenei has not appeared in public since being injured six months ago in US-Israeli airstrikes that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and triggered the wider Iran war, during which Tehran struck US military sites and other infrastructure in Gulf states.