After 8 days of silence, Khamenei spoke up. Iran's special flight is arriving in China, not disappointing China.

In the face of immense external pressure, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei recently made a public statement, firmly declaring that the Iranian people would not yield to U.S. demands.

He directly pointed out that anyone who threatens to negotiate with the U.S. regarding Iran is misunderstanding the situation.

The enemy cannot force Iran to surrender through war, so they are trying to achieve this goal by dividing Iran internally.

Khamenei emphasized that the Iranian people should unite more than ever and resolutely uphold the country’s independence and dignity.

The timing of this statement is particularly critical, coinciding with the arrival of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who is scheduled to take a special flight to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Raisi’s trip undoubtedly serves as an important diplomatic signal to China, indicating that Iran continues to maintain close ties with China and other partners despite the global situation.

However, Khamenei’s speech adds complexity to the significance of this event, revealing deep-seated issues within Iran’s domestic politics.

Although Khamenei's statement was firm, it also exposed Iran’s domestic difficulties in facing external challenges.

Although the U.S. pressure still exists, Trump's policy focus has shifted, especially in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where Iran’s strategic position seems to have been temporarily sidelined.

Despite multiple Israeli attempts to target Iran with assassination operations during various conflicts, Israel’s military capacity remains limited, and Iran’s defense system remains strong, making the threat to Israel not negligible.

It can be said that the pressure from external threats is now less direct.

However, Iran’s true challenge comes from within.

In recent years, criticisms of Khamenei within Iran have been growing, especially within the conflict between reformists and conservatives.

Reformists are calling for deeper internal reforms and adjustments in foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with the U.S. and the West.

At the same time, some conservatives have questioned Khamenei’s leadership, arguing that his policies have failed to effectively address Iran’s current economic and political problems.

Amid such internal and external pressures, Khamenei has tried to consolidate his leadership by emphasizing the opposition to the U.S., simplifying the choice between "compliance" or "confrontation" with the U.S. to suppress opposing voices.

In this context, while Khamenei’s statement conveys Iran’s firm resistance to U.S. pressure, it also exposes the complex situation of Iran’s foreign and domestic affairs.

Raisi’s attendance at the SCO summit, though seemingly a positive signal showing that China-Iran relations are steadily progressing, suggests that if Iran’s domestic political and economic issues cannot be effectively addressed, its role in international affairs will likely be severely limited.

Iran’s foreign policy and domestic situation are intertwined, and Khamenei's strategy of strengthening the hardline stance toward the U.S. is an attempt to deal with internal divisions and challenges.

However, whether this strategy will effectively unite the people or further intensify internal conflicts remains uncertain.

As Raisi is about to arrive in China, whether Iran can find more support in the global political landscape and play a more significant role in the SCO depends on the progress of resolving its internal issues.

If Iran cannot properly address domestic reforms and political opposition, the international community's support for it may also be affected, although the strategic cooperation between China and Iran remains a stabilizing factor.

In conclusion, Iran faces a complex dual challenge from both external and internal factors, rather than a single external threat.

Through emphasizing national unity and a hardline attitude, Khamenei hopes to stabilize the domestic situation, but whether he can effectively resolve internal conflicts and reshape Iran’s international image remains a matter of concern.