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The supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, called this Friday for an "economic and cultural jihad" against the enemies of the country, in a written statement released in commemoration of Labor Day in which he urged the population to mobilize on the domestic front while peace negotiations with the United States remain stalled.
In the message, Khamenei stated that Iran "has demonstrated to the world in a military battle against its enemies its progress and excellence," but that "it must also disappoint them and defeat them in the stage of economic and cultural jihad."
The supreme leader urged Iranians to prioritize "the consumption of domestically produced goods" and asked affected business owners to avoid "layoffs and workforce reductions as much as possible."
The call comes in the context of an open war and severe economic crisis. Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of supreme leader on March 9, 2026 following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, which occurred on February 28 during the initial bombings of the war.
The Iranian government described the death of Ali Khamenei as an act of "martyrdom in the Zionist-American aggression." Mojtaba was injured in the legs in that same attack and had not appeared in public since assuming office.
The Iranian economy is reeling from severe blows: annual inflation reached 72% in March 2026, the rial has depreciated by more than 50% against the dollar since January, and GDP contracted by 2.5% in the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, imposed on April 13, is causing daily losses of 435 million dollars for Iran, while oil exports have dropped from 2.5 million to 1.5 million barrels per day.
In this context, Khamenei's statement aims to mobilize the population and internal economic actors in response to external isolation, at a time when negotiations mediated by Pakistan are yielding no results.
On that same day, President Donald Trump publicly declared that he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal conveyed through the mediator Pakistan, and that he was not sure if an agreement could be reached to end the war.
Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran on April 21 at the request of Pakistan, despite threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure if an agreement was not reached.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that Iran remains open to diplomacy, but only if Washington alters its "expansionist approach" and "threatening rhetoric."
The positions of both parties remain incompatible: The U.S. demands the complete dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program and a 20-year moratorium, while Iran is requesting only a five-year pause and 270 billion dollars in war damage compensation.
When Trump was informed of Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment in March, he predicted that the new Iranian leader "would not last long", a warning that the regime in Tehran has not ignored.
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