“No Muslim Nation Stood With Us”: In his final open letter released hours before his assassination in an Israeli airstrike on March 17, 2026, Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani sharply rebuked Muslim governments for failing to support Tehran amid its war with the US and Israel, urging the Islamic world to choose sides.
Final Testament Released One Day Before Assassination:
Iran’s most senior surviving security official has left behind a powerful final message that exposes deep frustration within Tehran over the lack of regional solidarity. On March 16, 2026-just one day before his death-Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, published a six-point open letter addressed to Muslims worldwide and the governments of Islamic countries.
The document, released via social media in Persian and Arabic, accuses Islamic nations of abandoning Iran during its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel and demands they “pick a side.”
Larijani was killed the following day in an Israeli airstrike, with Iran confirming his martyrdom on March 17, 2026. The timing has transformed the letter into what many now call his final public testament.
“Which Side Are You On?”: Larijani’s Scathing Rebuke to the Muslim World:
In the message, Larijani described Iran’s war as a “deceitful American-Zionist aggression” aimed at dismantling the country. He noted that senior leaders, civilians and military commanders had been killed, yet Iran mounted “strong national and Islamic resistance” that forced its adversaries into a “strategic deadlock.”
He reserved his sharpest criticism for Muslim-majority states, particularly Gulf nations. “Except for rare cases and only within the political sphere, no Islamic nation stood alongside the Iranian people,” he wrote. He directly challenged governments hosting US bases used in attacks on Iran, asking: “Should Iran remain idle while US bases in your countries are used to attack it? These are flimsy excuses.”
Larijani framed the conflict clearly: “The confrontation today is between America and Israel on one side and Iran and the resistance forces on the other. Which side are you on?” He quoted a Prophetic tradition: “Whoever hears a man calling, ‘O Muslims,’ and does not respond to him is not a Muslim,” adding, “What kind of Islam is this?”
The letter concluded with a call for unity, warning that only collective Islamic solidarity could guarantee the future security, development and independence of the Muslim world, while reminding readers that “Israel is your enemy.
Larijani’s Legacy and Iran’s Isolation:
Ali Larijani, 67, was a veteran powerbroker who served as Speaker of Iran’s Parliament for 12 years and later as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. A close confidant of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei, he became one of the most influential figures directing Iran’s response after Khamenei’s death earlier in the conflict.
The letter emerges amid a widening war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iranian leadership and infrastructure. Tehran has faced repeated airstrikes, civilian casualties and pressure on regional proxies. Larijani’s message reflects Iran’s strategic pivot toward rallying the broader Muslim world after limited support materialised beyond rhetorical statements from a few countries.
For Iran, the appeal underscores a deepening sense of isolation. For the wider Islamic world, it poses a direct challenge at a time when many governments balance economic ties with the West, Gulf security concerns and domestic politics.