ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has called for unity within the country’s political establishment and warned officials against rhetoric that deepens divisions, as disagreements over negotiations with the United States, the economy and compulsory hijab become increasingly public.
In a written message marking Government Week on Friday, Khamenei said preserving unity and “social cohesion” must remain central to political, security, cultural and economic decision-making.
“Every action in the major cultural, social, political, security and economic spheres must take into account its impact on social cohesion,” he said.
Iran’s supreme leader warned against what he called “false dichotomies,” including “war or negotiations,” “consensus or radicalism” and “compromise or warmongering.”
“I state categorically that anything detrimental to social cohesion is forbidden.”
The message comes six months after Khamenei was seriously wounded in the February 28 US-Israeli strikes that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei. He has yet to make a public appearance since becoming supreme leader, although Iranian officials say he continues to oversee major decisions.
One of the most divisive domestic issues is compulsory hijab.
Hardliners have repeatedly demanded tougher enforcement and criticised President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government over the suspension of the controversial Hijab and Chastity law. Despite the suspension, authorities continue to enforce existing hijab rules, including through prosecutions, vehicle seizures and the closure of businesses.
Reformist website Ensaf News suggested Khamenei’s emphasis on considering the effects of major decisions on “social cohesion” could be interpreted as a reference to the suspended hijab legislation.
Khamenei nevertheless strongly backed Pezeshkian, who has faced growing attacks from hardliners over his support for negotiations with Washington.
But the message also appeared to contain a warning for the president. Khamenei urged officials to emphasise Iran’s strength and avoid publicly dwelling on weaknesses, even when those weaknesses are real, arguing that such remarks could encourage the enemy.
Hardline website Raja News subsequently compiled 20 instances in which it said Pezeshkian had projected weakness in an interview aired on Friday, highlighting the tensions within the establishment.
Parliament Speaker and senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf quickly endorsed Khamenei’s message, saying officials must avoid “illusory dualisms” and that harming social cohesion was both a national and religious prohibition.
The divisions are being sharpened by Iran’s worsening economy. Reuters reported that annual inflation has reached 66 percent, while Pezeshkian said foreign trade had fallen by around 35 percent amid the war, sanctions and disruption to shipping and oil exports.
In a televised interview on Friday, Pezeshkian also said the government intends to raise the third-tier petrol price - fuel bought beyond subsidised quotas - from 5,000 tomans ($0.025) to no more than 10,000 tomans ($0.05) a litre, although no implementation date has been set.
Fuel prices remain particularly sensitive in Iran. A sharp petrol price rise in November 2019 triggered nationwide protests and a deadly security crackdown.
For Khamenei, the task is increasingly clear: preventing disputes over war, negotiations, hijab and economic hardship from turning into deeper fractures within an establishment already under extraordinary pressure.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
