“Officials should to take into account the national interest and put their squabbles to one side,” Khamenei said during a speech to members of Iran’s aerospace force, the state-run news agency ISNA reported. The exchange by itself reveals the significant erosion in the authority of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has the final word on all state matters. Ali Khamenei has repeatedly warned rival political factions not to publicize their spats. In October, he said that anyone who creates divisions in the run-up to June presidential elections has committed treason.