In a defiant Nowruz (Persian New Year) message, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that the country’s adversaries have been “defeated,” and added that the United States and ‘Israel’ made a “gross miscalculation” in expecting rapid internal collapse—“that after one or two days of attacks, the Iranian people would overthrow the government.”
The written address, read on state television Friday to mark the Persian New Year, praised what Khamenei described as an unprecedented unity among Iranians across political, cultural, and religious divides, calling it a decisive factor in thwarting foreign objectives.
“At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you, our compatriots … the enemy has been defeated,” the statement said.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming leadership following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the outset of the war on February 28. His absence has fueled speculation internationally, but the Nowruz message sought to project continuity and control.
The younger Khamenei portrayed the conflict as a strategic misfire by the United States and ‘Israel’, asserting that their campaign was based on flawed assumptions about Iran.
“The war was launched under the delusion that… martyrdom of key figures would instill fear and despair,” he said. “Instead, a fracture has emerged in the enemy.”
Central to Khamenei’s message was the declaration of a new national theme: a “resistance economy under national unity and national security.” The phrase signals a continued emphasis on self-reliance and wartime mobilization, even as infrastructure and civilian areas reportedly face sustained bombardment.
According to Khamanei, Iran’s political system was explicitly designed to withstand moments of acute disruption, including the loss of senior leadership. The country’s constitutional framework incorporates mechanisms intended to prevent a power vacuum, allowing institutions to function even during periods of crisis.
This “survival protocol,” as some observers describe it, appears to be central to the leadership’s confidence in weathering the current conflict.
Khamenei also addressed recent incidents in neighboring countries, rejecting claims that Iran or its allied groups were involved in attacks in Turkiye and Oman. He characterized the events as “false flag” operations orchestrated to inflame regional tensions.
“These incidents are used to sow discord among neighbours,” he said, warning that similar actions could occur elsewhere.
 message, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that the country’s adversaries have been “defeated.”){kind=link}