Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a message on Saturday, July 18, 2026, calling for "sacred unity" and calm amid deep political divisions. This was his first public communication since becoming supreme leader in March 2026. Al Jazeera

Khamenei said Iranians must uphold "sacred unity" as a duty, especially against the United States. He called on both ordinary citizens and government officials to stop "division, political disputes, and increases in social differences." He also warned that Iran's enemies, likely meaning the US and Israel, "must not detect any sign of weakness from us."

The timing matters. Mojtaba Khamenei had not been seen or heard from publicly since becoming supreme leader in March 2026. That followed the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, whose funeral took place on Friday, July 10, 2026. Mojtaba did not attend the funeral, which led to speculation about his health, his safety, and how firmly he holds power. The Hindu

The message comes as Iran and the United States have a diplomatic agreement — a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, which is a non-binding preliminary deal — that Iran has suspended. The agreement was already close to falling apart after Iran and the US exchanged fire over the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries much of the world's oil. In June 2026, Khamenei said he "held a different view" about the MoU but approved it after President Masoud Pezeshkian, who leads Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accepted responsibility for it. That deal has since badly weakened.

The MoU's fragility was further exposed when Mahmoud Nabavian, a hardline lawmaker, read from classified material on live television in what appeared to be an attempt to derail the agreement. Nabavian was removed from the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee earlier in July 2026, signaling pushback against people leaking or using classified negotiations as a weapon.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the talks with the Americans, now works in a legislature where the MoU is suspended and opponents are testing how far they can push before the supreme leader steps in. Khamenei's call for unity reads, in part, as an attempt to impose discipline across these competing factions.

The response from key institutions was swift. President Pezeshkian thanked the supreme leader's "wise" message on X, pointing to the part urging "trust" in the heads of government, parliament, and judiciary. Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran's wartime joint command, said the armed forces will follow Khamenei's directive for "sacred unity and national cohesion." The military's endorsement is notable given the active clash with the US over the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of the MoU.

The broader context here is a leadership transition still trying to solidify its authority while facing military pressure from outside and political divisions from within. Mojtaba Khamenei took over as supreme leader about four months ago under circumstances that drew criticism from reformists and some clerics who questioned the hereditary nature of the succession — meaning power passed from father to son. His absence from his father's funeral and his silence until now have done little to ease those concerns. He chose to break that silence through a written message rather than a public appearance, which leaves open questions about whether the reasons are security-related, health-related, or political.

What the message does is draw a line. By calling for "sacred unity" and telling officials to stop public disputes, the supreme leader is signaling that the infighting exposed by the MoU debate and by Nabavian's televised stunt has reached a level he considers dangerous. The reference to enemies detecting "any sign of weakness" links domestic unity directly to the external confrontation with the US and Israel, framing political dissent not just as undesirable but as strategically harmful.

Whether this message will be enough to impose discipline is an open question. The MoU is suspended, the Strait of Hormuz remains contested, hardline lawmakers have shown they are willing to break ranks on live television, and the reformist president who put his credibility behind the deal now works under a supreme leader who publicly distanced himself from it before approving it. Iran's political system splits power between elected bodies, like the presidency and parliament, and unelected religious institutions, including the supreme leader's office. That system is being tested at a moment when the room for internal disagreement has shrunk considerably.