Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Iran could “turn on itself” if anything happened to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, telling lawmakers in Tehran that national cohesion depends on the leader’s safety during crises, Iran International reported on Tuesday.
Speaking in a parliamentary review of his government’s first year under the Seventh Development Plan, Pezeshkian said the Supreme Leader is “the pillar of the country’s tent,” and cautioned that during the 12-day war with Israel in June, his greatest concern was the potential for internal clashes if Khamenei were targeted.
“There would be no need for Israel to intervene,” he said, urging rival factions to avoid polarization and “stand firmly behind him.”
The president said the turbulence of the June fighting did not shake his confidence in Iran’s defenses, but reiterated that internal discipline, dialogue, and cooperation are essential to prevent political infighting that could surpass any external threat.
Pezeshkian acknowledged widespread public frustration over living costs and said the government and parliament share responsibility for inflation, calling for a deficit-free budget and a leaner state. “We cannot govern while people go hungry,” he said, urging lawmakers to set livelihoods as the priority.
Iran faces economic turmoil, drought dangers
Recently, Iran has faced inflation and currency challenges, including a move to revalue the rial, as well as the administration’s public stance of seeking de-escalation with the West while maintaining core security positions.
Iran is also grappling with a nationwide water emergency tied to prolonged drought, decades of resource mismanagement, over-extraction of groundwater, and politically driven dam and diversion projects.
Recent reporting warns the situation has reached a “tipping point,” with empty reservoirs, crop failures, and rolling outages heightening the risk of unrest.
At the same time, mismanagement and heavy-handed policies have compounded climate stressors, undermining public trust and complicating any coherent national conservation strategy.