On Thursday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a stark warning that the United States and Israel, having suffered “clear and deep humiliation” on the battlefield, were now seeking to weaken the Islamic Republic by sowing internal divisions. The statement, read on his behalf at a Tehran ceremony marking the Eid al-Ghadir holiday and the anniversary of the death of the republic’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was the latest from a leader who has remained entirely absent from public view since his succession in early March, following the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in a US strike.

In the text, Khamenei accused foes of waging a “hybrid war” combining military and psychological operations. “Their main tool is to plant seeds of doubt, despair, fear, mistrust and division,” he wrote, calling for national unity and asserting that any act fueling pessimism among the public amounted to aiding the enemy. Viewed from Tehran, the message was designed to rally an anxious public behind a leadership in transition, as daily violations of the February ceasefire continue to erode confidence.

The intervention comes against a backdrop of contradictory signals from Washington. While US forces, alongside Israel, launched the offensive that killed the elder Khamenei and reportedly injured Mojtaba, President Donald Trump said this week he wanted to meet the Supreme Leader. “I want to meet him, and we may meet someday, depending on how things go,” Trump told a podcast. Analysts in London note that such overtures sit uneasily with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assessment to lawmakers that Mojtaba Khamenei is “increasingly engaged” in government, suggesting a regime that remains both a military threat—retaining large numbers of drones—and diplomatically isolated.

European observers highlight the conspicuous absence of Mojtaba Khamenei from public appearances. Le Figaro notes that since his designation as third Supreme Leader, only written statements have been attributed to him, fueling speculation about his health and the true locus of power in Tehran. This opacity complicates any diplomatic track, as the US presses for a permanent ceasefire while both sides trade accusations of violations.

For Iran, the challenge is twofold: to maintain public morale in the face of economic strain and security threats, and to signal resolve to adversaries without triggering further escalation. The Supreme Leader’s call for unity may be as much a test of his own authority as it is a rallying cry. Whether Trump’s meeting offer represents a genuine off-ramp or a tactical ploy remains unclear, but with the ceasefire in tatters and political divisions deepening, the space for negotiation is narrowing.