Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of deliberately trying to foment and amplify internal divisions within Iran, according to reports from state media. The remarks were delivered during a gathering of municipal leaders from across the country, where the president addressed local officials on the perceived external threat to national cohesion.
Pezeshkian asserted that, following an inability to compel the Iranian populace to capitulate through armed conflict, adversaries have redirected their strategy toward political subversion. He stated, "After failing to force the Iranian people to surrender through military war, enemies have focused their entire plan on creating and intensifying internal divisions." The president linked this alleged campaign to a broader effort to weaken Iran’s unity and stability.
Emphasising the importance of solidarity, Pezeshkian called on all segments of society to resist attempts to fragment the nation. He warned that any group acting under the belief that it possesses superior knowledge could undermine the country, adding, "A group must not weaken the country under the illusion that they are ‘all‑knowing’; public participation..." The incomplete quotation suggests a broader appeal for inclusive civic engagement as a countermeasure to foreign interference.
The president’s comments reflect ongoing tensions between Iran and Western states, particularly the United States and Israel, which have been accused by Tehran of supporting opposition movements and disseminating propaganda aimed at destabilising the regime. While no specific incidents were cited, the statements underscore Tehran’s narrative that external actors are intensifying covert efforts to sow discord.
State media coverage of the meeting highlighted the president’s call for unity and his condemnation of what he described as a coordinated foreign agenda. The remarks come amid a period of heightened diplomatic friction and internal security concerns within Iran, though no concrete evidence of the alleged foreign operations was presented in the report.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/pezeshkian-accuses-us-israel-attempts-sowing-internal-divisions-iran.