Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written message on his Telegram account during Islamic Unity Week, urging the rulers of Islamic countries, especially those in West Asia and the Gulf, to identify their real enemy, understand his plan and confront it. He reiterated his call on Friday for Iranian authorities to avoid statements that could weaken public morale. Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since being injured in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that also killed his father and predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, emphasized the need for Muslim unity.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organization warned that the “enemy” was employing psychological warfare to undermine national stability and resilience, stating that Iran’s response would be to disrupt the enemy’s command capabilities, strike terrorist collaborators and confront those seeking to undermine stability and unity.
Iran continues to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, maintaining pressure on global energy markets. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran was in no hurry to reopen the strategic waterway, while the IRGC affirmed it remains firmly in control of the strait, rejected U.S. statements about shipping access and accused Washington of trying to influence energy prices. The closure is described as one of the war’s biggest risks to global oil supplies, given Hormuz’s role as a critical route for crude and liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf.
Diplomatic efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough. Iraq has offered to act as a bridge between Tehran and Washington, and Lebanon’s foreign ministry instructed Iran to conduct its relations through the country’s legitimate state institutions after the Iranian foreign minister expressed a desire to engage both the Lebanese government and other political factions.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a delayed notice of a tanker being struck by an unknown projectile on Saturday, 12 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz; no casualties were reported. Additionally, Yemen’s National Resistance Forces, an anti‑Houthi faction supporting the internationally recognized government, intercepted a vessel in the Red Sea that was reportedly transporting Iranian military equipment to the Houthis, including components intended for the production and development of attack drones.
These developments occur roughly six months into the conflict, with Tehran facing intensified U.S. sanctions alongside continued military and economic pressure.