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Unity message and warnings
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei praised President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration for addressing people’s needs amid “aggression,” and urged stronger national unity in a Government Week message.
““preserving unity and safeguarding social cohesion” is a “fundamental” issue”
Khamenei said “preserving unity and safeguarding social cohesion” is a “fundamental” issue that should remain a central priority, and he warned that “committing any act that harms social cohesion is prohibited.”
In the same message, he called for culture, education and upbringing to be treated as cross-cutting priorities across all government strategies, and he singled out teachers, university and seminary instructors, nurses and doctors working in public institutions, and homemakers.
The message also said implementing these recommendations would contribute to building an “ever-stronger Iran,” while emphasizing that “every discouraging statement that weakens national and public motivation” can have the same effect from now on.
Government Week context
Mehr News Agency said Khamenei made the remarks on Friday in a message marking Government Week, which is held annually to commemorate President Mohammad Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar, both assassinated in the bombing of the prime minister’s office on August 30, 1981.
Mehr also reported that Khamenei honored the memory of the martyred presidents Rajai and Raeisi, the martyred prime minister Bahonar, and the martyred employees, managers and ministers of various administrations, and he praised the “sincere and caring” President Pezeshkian for measures taken despite “the intensification of sanctions and blockades.”
In the message, Khamenei pointed to economic and livelihood challenges such as inflation and urged attention to “boosting production,” “gradually phasing out the dollar from its important role,” and placing resistance-economy policies at the center.
Mehr further said the remarks came as the United States launched on Monday a campaign titled “Operation Economic Outcast,” after Washington failed to reach its war objectives against Iran, and it quoted Khamenei saying the country’s development path does not lie in complying with “unreasonable demands.”
Cabinet pledges and annex
Iran’s cabinet issued a statement on Saturday pledging to safeguard national unity, prioritize the economy and the people’s livelihood, and advance diplomacy and defence as “two complementary wings,” in response to the Leader’s guidance.
“all major political, economic, social and cultural decisions would carry a "national cohesion annex"”
The cabinet said it would honor the memory of the martyred presidents Rajaei and Raeisi, Prime Minister Bahonar and other government martyrs, and it renewed its commitment to the late Leader and to the current Leader.
Aligning with Khamenei’s warning against actions harmful to social cohesion, the cabinet said all major political, economic, social and cultural decisions would carry a “national cohesion annex,” and it pledged to avoid “false dichotomies” and “despairing words.”
The cabinet also pledged to solve a chain of economic problems including curbing inflation, smart market management, job creation, directing capital to national production, and gradually reducing dependence on the dollar, while pushing forward technology, education, agriculture, industry, communications and culture.