Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge on Saturday, in his first public message since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He pledged to "avenge" his father's death, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes in February. The message comes as fighting between Iran, Israel and the United States resumed this week after a brief lull.
What did Mojtaba Khamenei say about revenge?
In the message released Saturday, Khamenei said Iran would "avenge the pure blood" of his father and other war victims, calling revenge "the will of our nation." He said those responsible for the killings, whose identities are "fully documented," would not escape punishment despite hoping for a peaceful death.
Khamenei described the strikes that killed his father as the work of "criminal, disgraceful murderers." He said their names are recorded "from the highest to the lowest ranks" and framed the coming retaliation as a national demand rather than a personal one. He also thanked the millions who attended the funeral, describing their turnout as an "enemy-breaking and historic presence."
Why is Iran on a war footing this week?
Hostilities between Iran, the United States and Israel resumed this week, ending a brief lull that had raised hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough. Fresh missile and drone exchanges have hit military sites and energy infrastructure across the region. Israel has continued strikes inside Iran and widened its operations against Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, while Washington says it is responding to threats against US forces and regional allies.
The current war began on 28 February, when coordinated US-Israeli strikes hit Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The attacks killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and several nuclear scientists. Tehran responded with retaliatory missile strikes on Israel and US military assets across the Middle East.
Khamenei's funeral earlier this week drew senior political and military leaders from across Iran, along with delegations from several regional allies. Millions of mourners filled the streets of Tehran and other cities, in what state media called one of the largest public gatherings in Iran in decades. Authorities declared several days of national mourning and described the procession as a show of national unity and defiance.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father as Supreme Leader after an unprecedented wartime transition of power. He has since worked to project continuity in Iran's leadership while vowing to continue what officials call the country's "resistance" against the United States and Israel. His latest remarks are likely to deepen concerns that de-escalation remains distant, even as parallel diplomatic efforts continue to try to contain the wider regional war.
Comments
See what people are discussing