Mojtaba Khamenei Claims Islamic Republic’s Victory in War and Status as World’s First Power
Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Republic, released a message on the occasion of the anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq War, describing the recent conflict with the United States and Israel as a continuation of that historical confrontation and claiming that the Islamic Republic emerged victorious in this struggle. In his message, he spoke of increased state power, American retreat, and even Iran’s positioning as the “world’s first power,” though much of these claims were not accompanied by any independent data or verifiable evidence.
In his message, Mojtaba Khamenei referred to the Iran-Iraq War as the “first imposed war” and claimed that Western powers have continued efforts to return Iran to pre-Islamic Republic conditions even after the revolution. He characterized recent wars as a continuation of that same confrontation and said the Islamic Republic had successfully forced “invading oppressors” to retreat in the recent conflict.
This narrative comes as the current war began on February 28, 2026, with attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, during which Ali Khamenei, the former leader of the Islamic Republic, was killed. Mojtaba Khamenei subsequently assumed leadership and was himself severely wounded in those attacks. Reuters reported that in the following months, the war resulted in thousands of deaths and inflicted extensive damage to Iran’s military and economic infrastructure.
Despite these facts, the Islamic Republic’s leader presented a completely victorious picture of the war in his new message. He claimed that the opposing side sought shelter in the face of the Islamic Republic’s attacks and “begged” for an end to the war—claims that were not accompanied by military details or independent evidence in his message.
One of the most notable sections of this message concerns Khamenei’s claims about Iran’s global standing. Mojtaba Khamenei wrote that some, “based on worldly calculations,” consider Iran the “world’s fourth superpower,” but the Islamic Republic, based on religious beliefs, has described Iran as the “world’s first power.” This statement is less a measurable assessment based on military, economic, or political indicators than it is part of the Islamic Republic’s leader’s ideological narrative regarding Iran’s place in the world.
The Strait of Hormuz also occupied another section of Mojtaba Khamenei’s message. He claimed that American forces and their allies cannot advance beyond the Arabian Sea because of the Islamic Republic’s attacks, stating: “It is not far off that the Arabian Sea will also free itself from them.”
However, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the principal points of tension in the war. Reuters reports show that maritime traffic through this waterway has severely declined, and Tehran has stated in recent weeks that it is prepared to reopen the strait in a short time if military pressure from America eases and the blockade of Iranian ports is lifted.
In another section of his message, Mojtaba Khamenei attempted to paint a picture of broad social support for the Islamic Republic. He claimed that over the past seven months, people have continuously gathered in the streets, and more than 30 million Iranians have declared themselves “self-sacrificing.” He also stated that following the announcement of a call for some form of organizing, the designated capacity for registration—exceeding 500,000 people—was filled in just 100 minutes.
No independent sources or data were provided in the text of the message for these figures and claims. Therefore, these statistics cannot be considered an independent measurement of the level of public support for the government and should be reported solely as claims made by the Islamic Republic’s leader.
These claims are being made at a time when independent reports on Iran’s internal situation present a more complex picture than what was presented in the Islamic Republic’s leader’s message. Reuters reported regarding six months of war that while Iran has not surrendered, the conflict has turned into a war of attrition, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted, and simultaneously economic pressure on the government has increased.
On the other hand, in recent weeks, officials of the Islamic Republic themselves have repeatedly discussed economic problems, declining oil revenues, currency shortages, energy deficits, and pressures resulting from the war. Reuters also reported in September that while Iran’s government continues the war and faces economic pressures, it has placed efforts to address internal problems on its agenda.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s new message essentially places two different narratives about the Islamic Republic’s situation side by side: an official narrative speaking of victory, increased power, and support from tens of millions of Iranians, and on the other side, a reality accompanied in independent reports by ongoing war, disruption of trade and shipping, economic pressure, and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, emphasis on “decisive victory” and the transformation of a costly conflict into a sign of “being the world’s first power” is less an answer to questions about the costs of war and the living conditions of people than it is indicative of the narrative the Islamic Republic’s leader is trying to present regarding the government’s position following one of the most severe military crises in the Islamic Republic’s history. Judgment regarding the degree of success or failure of either side requires examination of a range of military, political, economic, and humanitarian indicators, and claims by the parties involved alone cannot prove such conclusions.
