Supreme Leader Khamenei Marks War's Six-Month Mark With Written Call for Muslim Unity

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written message — published to coincide with the Prophet Muhammad's birthday and the six-month mark of the war that began with his father's killing on February 28 — urging Muslim states, 'especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf,' to 'identify your real enemy, understand his plan and confront it.' The message is Khamenei's latest public communication but not a video or audio recording; he has still not made a confirmed in-person public appearance since being named Supreme Leader in March. Six months into the war, Iran's leadership has coalesced around a core of hardline generals and clerics signaling readiness for a long confrontation with the US and zero tolerance for domestic unrest.