Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed Supreme Leader of Iran, accused the U.S. and Israel of attempting to destabilize national unity through psychological campaigns.
This rhetoric marks the first major public address for the new leader, signaling that the Iranian government intends to maintain a hard-line stance against Western influence. The appointment suggests that the country's most conservative factions remain firmly in control of the state apparatus.
Speaking during a major religious commemoration in Tehran marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution founder, Khamenei targeted the U.S. and Israel. He said the two nations are attempting to "plant seeds of doubt, despair, fear, and division among Iranians" [1].
Khamenei characterized these efforts as a response to a decisive setback for the foreign powers. He said external enemies are using these tactics as part of a broader political and psychological campaign to weaken the Iranian people [1], [2].
The transition of power comes after Khamenei was appointed to the position of supreme leader on a Monday [2]. The appointment is viewed by observers as a sign that hard-liners remain firmly in charge of the Islamic Republic [2].
Throughout his address, the leader emphasized that Tehran refuses to bow to external pressure. He framed the current geopolitical tension as a struggle for national sovereignty against those seeking to undermine the state from within [1].
“They are trying to plant seeds of doubt, despair, fear, and division among Iranians.”
The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei ensures continuity in Iran's confrontational foreign policy. By framing U.S. and Israeli actions as psychological warfare, the new leadership is consolidating domestic support through a narrative of external threat, likely reducing the probability of diplomatic concessions in the near term.
