Several high-ranking Iranian officials have emphasized the country's unity, rejecting US President Donald Trump's claims of a rift within the leadership in Tehran.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf all issued statements denying the US president's assertion. Pezeshkian and Ghalibaf joined the Supreme National Security Council in posting the same message on X: "In Iran, there are no radicals or moderates. We are all 'Iranian' and 'revolutionary', and with the iron unity of the nation and government, with complete obedience to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, we will make the aggressor criminal regret his actions."
Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran's first vice president, also shared the statement, adding in English: "Iran is not a land of rifts, but a stronghold of unity. Our political diversity is our democracy, yet in times of peril, we are a 'Single Hand' under one flag. To protect our soil and dignity, we transcend all labels. We are one soul, one nation."
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance since replacing his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US-Israeli strikes on February 28. US officials have said the younger Khamenei was wounded and "disfigured" in the strike. The New York Times reported, citing unidentified Iranian officials, that Khamenei is gravely wounded but remains "mentally sharp."
Trump and his aides have been reiterating daily over the past week that there are major disagreements among Iranian leaders. The US president claimed Iranians are "having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is," alleging "crazy" infighting between "moderates" and "hardliners" in Tehran.
Tehran has stressed that talks – previously scheduled to take place in Pakistan – are not happening due to the US blockade on its ports. Araghchi dismissed allegations that the Iranian military is at odds with the political leadership, stating: "The failure of Israel's terrorist killings is reflected in how Iran's state institutions continue to act with unity, purpose, and discipline."
The truce remains tenuous. Air defenses were activated over Tehran on Thursday, but no attack has been officially confirmed. Trump said the US military will "shoot and kill" Iranians laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country is ready to renew the war against Iran.
Source: www.aljazeera.com