Mojtaba Khamenei Accuses Israel Of ‘Sowing Division’, Denies Iran Role In Turkey, Oman Strikes

Last Updated:March 20, 2026, 21:06 IST

Khamenei links Turkey, Oman attacks to an alleged Israeli plot to “sow division”, denies Iran role as Oman urges US to exit conflict.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has accused Israel of attempting to “sow division" across the region, linking reported attacks in Turkey and Oman to what he described as a broader “scheme by the Zionist enemy".

“The attacks in Turkey and Oman are a scheme by the Zionist enemy to sow division among our nations," Khamenei said, adding, “We share with neighboring countries the creed, the interests, and the confrontation against the forces of global arrogance."

He dismissed suggestions that Iran could be weakened by external pressure, saying, “The enemy thought it could dominate Iran and partition it," and asserting, “Our people formed an impregnable fortress with their presence in the squares and delivered powerful blows to the enemy."

Khamenei also pushed back against expectations of internal unrest following leadership-targeted attacks, saying, “The enemy was deluding itself that by assassinating the head of the regime, our people would abandon the squares," and adding, “The enemy thought that the people would overthrow the Islamic regime within a day or two."

In a message directed at domestic discourse, he said, “We advise domestic media to refrain from focusing on points of weakness." He also reiterated Iran’s regional stance, saying, “We firmly believe in strengthening relations with neighboring countries."

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The remarks come as Iran has drawn a clear distinction in its regional military posture. While it has not denied launching missiles and drones at Gulf countries, maintaining that such strikes target US-linked assets, Tehran has firmly rejected responsibility for reported attacks on Turkey.

“No projectiles have been fired from Iran towards Turkey," Iran’s embassy in Ankara said, adding that it was ready to form a “joint technical team" to investigate the incidents and “remove any ambiguity".

Iranian officials have instead suggested that the attacks in Turkey, as well as a drone strike in neighbouring Azerbaijan, could be Israeli “false flag" operations, though no evidence has been provided.

Amid the escalation, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi has called on the United States to extricate itself from the conflict, warning that Iran’s strikes on Gulf states were an “inevitable" — though “deeply regrettable and completely unacceptable" — response.

Al Busaidi said Washington had miscalculated by allowing itself to be “drawn into" the war, adding that Tehran’s retaliation against what it claims are American targets in neighbouring countries was “probably the only rational option available" to its leadership in an opinion piece published in the Economist.

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