Mojtaba Khamenei touts new anti-US alliance as Gulf backchannels seep into Tehran: analyst

Iran's ultimate leader has launched a sweeping counteroffensive against President Donald Trump, attempting to rally Middle Eastern nations into an anti-American alliance, an expert warned Sunday.

The fierce maneuvering came hours aft Trump sounded an expansion of nan Abraham Accords, arsenic an expert said Tehran is seeking to position itself arsenic nan region’s "new sheriff" while forcing Gulf states pinch backchannels to Iran to take betwixt Washington’s information umbrella and a "New Islamic Civilization."

On Sunday, negotiations betwixt Iran and nan United States appeared to beryllium ongoing, pinch Trump not yet signing disconnected connected a imaginable bid agreement.

Trump precocious held a telephone telephone pinch leaders from Saudi Arabia, nan United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to talk expanding nan 2020 Abraham Accords, followed by a May 25 station connected Truth Social.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON TRUMP AFTER MIDDLE EAST VISIT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan guidelines during nan Abraham Accords signing ceremonial connected nan South Lawn of nan White House successful Washington, D.C., connected Sept. 15, 2020. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg)

Mojtaba Khamenei issued a nonstop counter-response connected X connected May 26, issuing a telephone for a "New Islamic Civilization" aimed astatine those aforesaid location capitals.

"I, pinch sincerity and purity of intention, invite each Islamic countries and governments to relationship and practice successful goodness, truthful that by moving together we whitethorn return steps toward nan advancement of nan Islamic Ummah and nan solution of nan Islamic world's problems," Khamenei posted.

Highlighting "the nations of nan region" and "common interests that will style nan caller bid and nan early architecture of nan region and nan world," he said of "the Islamic Ummah and nan #New_Islamic_Civilization."

"The United States will nary longer person a safe haven for its mischief and for establishing subject bases successful West Asia," he besides warned.

"Mojtaba Khamenei's connection is that nan Muslim world should consolidate nether Iran's activity — nan 'Ummah,' nan 'new Islamic civilization' — against nan American-led order," Dr. Omar Mohammed told Fox News Digital.

"That is nan theme, and it runs consecutive into nan Accords narrative. This is simply a bid to build an confederation against nan Abraham Accords," said Mohammed, head of nan Antisemitism Research Initiative Program connected Extremism astatine George Washington University.

TOP ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICIAL REVEALS OPERATION AGAINST IRAN INVOLVED 'STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL DECEPTION'

In this image obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei (C), boy of Iran's ultimate leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, walks on a thoroughfare successful Tehran connected May 31, 2019. (Hamid FOROUTAN / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images)

"In his statement, he besides frames American bases connected Muslim ungraded arsenic an business to beryllium expelled while wrapping it successful belief connection that casts nan authorities arsenic God's instrument."

The counterterrorism master noted that while nan "Ummah" doctrine itself is not caller — having been utilized by Mojtaba's begetter for years — nan timing and targeted quality of nan transportation correspond a awesome escalation.

"This came into nan Ummah pinch Iran, not into normalization pinch Israel nether Washington," Mohammed explained. "Same audience, other frame, 24 hours apart, and a bid to combine that alliance."

"The connection was published successful afloat and carried by Iranian authorities media. It besides tracks pinch his first connection arsenic leader connected March 12, erstwhile he demanded that U.S. bases successful nan region close."

"This was not a stray post," nan master warned. "While nan doctrine is old, aiming it astatine these regions nan time aft Trump's transportation is what is new."

The posturing comes arsenic Khamenei establishes his footing connected nan world stage, though his hidden quality complicates accepted diplomacy.

IRAN’S ‘STUNNING STRATEGIC MISCALCULATION’ COULD ACCELERATE GULF TIES TO ISRAEL, EX-CENTCOM DIRECTOR PREDICTS

President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman airs for photos pinch leaders during nan Gulf Cooperation Council Leaders’ Summit astatine The Ritz-Carlton successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected May 14, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

"Tehran is trading itself to nan region arsenic nan caller sheriff of nan neighborhood," Mohammed warned. 

"The Saudis, Qataris and Omanis person channels into nan Iranian state, but you can't unfastened a backmost transmission to a man nary 1 tin locate. This has each been moving done Pezeshkian and Araghchi."

Despite Iran's abrupt rhetoric of "friendship," location reality is defined by months of Iranian aggression against its neighbors.

Tehran's forces person actively fired upon Bahrain, Qatar, nan UAE and Kuwait.

Mohammed added that Tehran wants to peel Gulf states distant from Washington, while its threats stay aimed astatine some nan United States and nan countries that big American forces.

"Iran spent this warfare firing connected them — it deed Bahrain, Qatar, nan UAE and Kuwait, nan aforesaid capitals it's now inviting to brotherhood, and nan UAE unsocial reported intercepting adjacent to 2,000 drones and hundreds of ballistic missiles since Feb. 28," Mohammed said. 

"These are nan states that big our forces: nan Fifth Fleet successful Bahrain, Al Dhafra successful nan UAE and Al Udeid successful Qatar. You don't return 3 months of Iranian occurrence and past motion onto its alliance."

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Ultimately, Gulf capitals stay profoundly skeptical of Tehran, Mohammed said, but they are arsenic watchful of American resolve.

"What really worries nan Gulf isn't Mojtaba's invitation — it's nan deal Washington mightiness sign," Mohammed noted, "one that hands Iran its money backmost pinch its missiles intact and sounds arsenic rewarding nan authorities that conscionable attacked them."