By Desmond Nleya
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called on leaders across the Muslim world to recognise and confront what he described as their “real enemy”, amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington.
In a written statement published on Sunday, Khamenei urged Muslim heads of state to “recognise their real enemy, understand its plans and confront it”.
His remarks came as the standoff between Iran and the United States continued six months into the war, with no immediate indication of a breakthrough between the two sides.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and that Tehran was in no hurry to reopen the strategic waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also said it maintained firm control of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing US leaders of making false statements about the situation in an attempt to influence global energy prices.
Meanwhile, Iraq has offered to play a mediating role between Tehran and Washington. Iraqi Prime Minister’s security adviser Qasim al-Araji said Baghdad was seeking to act as a bridge between the two governments.
Elsewhere, tensions continued in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, reportedly surrounded another Palestinian home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus.
The developments come amid continuing regional uncertainty, with the conflict involving Iran and the United States continuing to affect security and shipping in the Middle East.
