Rulers of Muslim nations should recognize 'true enemy,' says Iran's supreme leader

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Sunday that rulers of Muslim countries should recognize what he called "the true enemy," accusing the US and Israel of being "sworn enemies" of Islamic unity.

"My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, particularly those in West Asia and along the Gulf, is to identify your true enemy, understand its plan and confront it," Khamenei said in a message marking "Islamic Unity Week," according to Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB.

Unity among Muslims is essential "for achieving the beloved and dominant Islamic civilization," he stated.

The US and Israel are "the sworn enemies of this unity and friendship," Khamenei claimed, saying that Washington and Tel Aviv are not only "enemies" of Iran but also of the "entire" Islamic world.

Tensions in the Middle East have heightened since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes on regional countries hosting US assets.

Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire in April and subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

The deal, however, collapsed last month, with Tehran and Washington exchanging attacks for nearly two weeks before US President Donald Trump abruptly halted the bombardment amid reports of talks to resolve the conflict.