- Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for national unity against US and Israeli pressures
- US Central Command reported Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait, intercepted successfully
- Iran claimed the missile launch was retaliation for a prior US attack on its forces
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a written message read on the state television, said that the United States and Israel seek to bring the Islamic Republic to "its knees" and urged Iranians to be united.
"The enemy's blind plan, after the imposed war, the economic pressure, and the political and propaganda siege, is to create divisions and disintegration in order to compensate for military defeats and bring the nation to its knees," said Khamenei.
He said that everyone 'devoted' to Iran should strive to safeguard the "unity" of the nation.
Earlier in the day the US Central Command said that Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces.
In a post on X, the CENTCOM said, "At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz."
At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 28, 2026
The handle mentioned that a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas was prevented.'
The Iranian Embassy in India announced that it fired the missile in response to the US attack earlier.
Khamenei's address marks the anniversary of the founding of Iran's national legislature. The Supreme Leader has not appeared in public since before he took office in March.
Why Khamenei Avoids Public Addresses
Khamenei suffered severe burns to his face and lips in a February 2026 airstrike, leaving him in need of plastic surgery. Iranian officials told the New York Times that he has avoided audio or visual public addresses because he does not want to appear vulnerable or sound weak during his recovery.
With assassination threats still looming over his head, Khamenei is reportedly hiding in an undisclosed secure location with extremely limited communication access. The only way to reach Khamenei is through a "labyrinth of couriers", according to a CBS News report.
The United States and Iran accused each other of violating an ongoing truce on Thursday following an exchange of fire, three months after the Middle East war began with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.
The latest exchange was the most serious since the ceasefire started in April, rattling ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the war and drawing in US ally Kuwait, which accused Iran of a "dangerous escalation".
(With inputs from agencies)
