Ali Larijani says the US and Israel aim to split Iran into several parts

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has levelled strong accusations at the United States and Israel, saying the two countries are attempting to unleash massive chaos inside Iran with the ultimate aim of fracturing the country into several small parts. The remarks come as Tehran experiences highly unstable security conditions following large-scale military aggression at the end of February 2026. Larijani assessed that there is a systematic effort to weaken Iran’s sovereignty from within. In remarks cited by state broadcaster IRIB, Larijani emphasised that the current turmoil is part of a grand design by Iran’s enemies. ‘The enemies’ strategy is to sow chaos in Iran so that they can easily fragment the country into several parts,’ he stated on Saturday, 7 March 2026. In addition to outlining the adversaries’ political strategy, Larijani also claimed that a number of United States soldiers have been detained by Iranian security authorities; however, details on the number and locations of the detentions have not been disclosed publicly. The Middle East has reached a critical point after the United States and Israel launched a series of air strikes against several targets inside Iran, including the capital Tehran, on 28 February 2026. The attacks caused extensive damage and civilian casualties. State television previously confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a result of the strikes. The loss of this top authority figure has dramatically altered the geopolitics of the region. Tensions between Tehran and Washington remain at their highest in decades, with global concerns about the outbreak of a wider war in the area.