Iran’s Leader Urges Muslim Unity Against Israel and US Amid Rising Mideast Tensions

POLICY WIRE — Tehran, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has urged leaders of Muslim nations to unite against what he described as their true adversaries, Israel and the United States. In a letter to religious leaders attending a conference in Tehran, Khamenei implored them to recognize and confront their real enemy.

Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the war’s opening strikes on February 28, has consistently opposed the U.S. military presence in neighboring countries. The ongoing conflict has highlighted divisions within the Muslim world, particularly after Iran targeted Gulf Arab countries and restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate incident, a team from the U.S. news network NBC was assaulted by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank while interviewing a Palestinian woman who claimed to have been evicted by settlers. NBC’s correspondent Matt Bradley, two other crew members, and the woman they were interviewing received medical treatment for their injuries.

Additionally, an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least two Palestinians, including a three-year-old boy, according to hospital authorities. The Israeli military identified one of the deceased as a Hamas operative, alleging he posed an immediate threat.

The violence in the West Bank continues to escalate, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issuing a rare condemnation of settler attacks. Meanwhile, a British activist was detained by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and later handed over to police, facing charges of committing an indecent act against a minor.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)