Key Points
- Interim leadership council formation process announced following the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.
- Tehran calls for unity and rejects attempts to weaken the state.
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s senior security official has issued a strong warning against efforts to divide the country in the wake of sweeping strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, local media and state television reported.
Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called on Iranians to remain united and reaffirmed that any attempts to foment internal discord would not be tolerated.
Larijani’s comments came after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other key figures in recent strikes by US and Israeli forces. In the same address, he said Tehran’s authorities would begin the constitutionally mandated process to establish an interim leadership council to oversee governance until a new supreme leader is selected.
“Groups seeking to divide Iran should know that we will not tolerate it,” Larijani said, urging solidarity among the Iranian people against external pressure.
The security chief’s remarks reflect deep concerns in Tehran about the potential for social and political fragmentation after a dramatic escalation in direct conflict with the United States and Israel. Crowds in several Iranian cities have rallied in response to the killings, demanding vengeance and reinforcing calls for national cohesion amid the crisis.
In addition to urging unity, Iranian officials are moving quickly to formalise interim leadership arrangements, which is expected to shape the country’s political direction in the turbulent aftermath of the strikes.
