Iran’s Supreme Leader urged the country’s intelligence services to remain committed to the principles and ideology of the Islamic revolution and work closely with the government.

Ali Khamenei’s remarks on Wednesday, reported on Saturday, were made during a meeting with the ministry’s leadership to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its establishment.

“The Ministry of Intelligence must always cooperate fully with the government so that the current administration can carry out the heavy task of running the country well,” he said, adding that effective intelligence work is central to such cooperation.

The minister of intelligence and several other key ministers are directly selected by Khamenei . The structure reinforces the Supreme Leader’s overarching control over intelligence, military and security operations.

Esmail Khatib, the current intelligence minister delivered a report on countering security threats during the meeting, which highlights the direct line of accountability.

Khatib has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for his alleged role in cyber operations and human rights abuse. In 2022, Washington designated both him and the ministry of intelligence for involvement in cyber activities against the US and its allies.

He had also played a key role in suppressing Iran’s 2009 Green Movement protests and demonstrations since 2019.

In recent years, the intelligence arm of the Revolutionary Guard has also assumed a prominent role in suppressing dissent, often arresting more protesters and prominent figures and maintaining its own detention centers.

Khamenei’s comments come amid growing domestic discontent over misgovernance and inflation, as well as external pressure, particularly from US President Donald Trump’s reinstatement of his “maximum pressure” policy.