Ethnic Relations in Iran in the Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei

One of the main issues in contemporary societies is the way different groups and ethnicities coexist and interact with each other. This issue is also of interest in the Islamic Republic of Iran, where various groups and ethnicities have lived for many years and centuries. The main problem and question of this article is that according to the thought of Ayatollah Khamenei, what is the relationship between ethnic groups in Iran and the relationship between national, ethnic and religious identity among them? To answer this question, all Ayatollah Khamenei's meetings with people and different groups from ethnic provinces (97 speeches in total) have been analyzed using thematic analysis method. The four main themes extracted from his statements are: 1- foundations and principles for ethnic coexistence, 2- religious beliefs and rites (the basis of religious identity), 3- cultural and social relations and relationships (the basis of ethnic identity), 4- preservation of the land and political-economic progress and participation (the basis of national identity).