Mojtaba Khamenei warns of bid to bring Iran 'to its knees' amid fresh missile escalation
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has accused the United States and Israel of attempting to destabilise the Islamic Republic, urging Iranians to remain united as tensions in the Middle East sharply escalated.
In a written message read out on Iranian state television, Khamenei said the “enemy’s blind plan” was aimed at creating divisions within Iran through military pressure, sanctions and propaganda.
“The enemy's blind plan, after the imposed war, the economic pressure, and the political and propaganda siege, is to create divisions and disintegration in order to compensate for military defeats and bring the nation to its knees,” he said.
Calling for national unity, Khamenei urged all those “devoted” to Iran to safeguard the country’s cohesion amid the ongoing conflict.
Iran fires missile towards Kuwait
The statement came hours after the United States Central Command, commonly known as CENTCOM, said Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait late Tuesday night.
According to CENTCOM, Kuwaiti forces successfully intercepted the missile.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said Iran also launched five one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, calling the actions an “egregious ceasefire violation”.
At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 28, 2026
The command further claimed that a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas was prevented before take-off.
The Embassy of Iran in India later said the missile strike was carried out in response to recent US attacks on Iranian targets.
Why Khamenei has stayed out of public view
Khamenei’s latest message marks another rare written communication since reports emerged that he suffered severe facial burns in a February 2026 airstrike.
According to reports by The New York Times and CBS News, the Iranian leader underwent plastic surgery after sustaining injuries to his face and lips.
Iranian officials reportedly said he has avoided public appearances because he does not want to appear physically weakened during recovery.
The reports also claimed Khamenei is currently staying at an undisclosed secure location amid fears of assassination attempts, with communication restricted to a tightly controlled network of couriers.
Ceasefire under fresh strain
The latest exchange marks the most serious flare-up since a ceasefire between Iran and the US-backed coalition came into effect in April, three months after the conflict began with large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the truce, while Kuwait condemned the missile launch as a “dangerous escalation”.
The renewed hostilities have raised concerns over the future of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war and stabilising the region.
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