Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to avenge the death of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, in his first public statement since taking over the country's leadership.
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The written message, read on Iranian state television, described revenge as the "will of the nation" and came as funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei continued. The former supreme leader was killed in a US-Israeli air strike on 28 February, the opening day of the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.
Ali Khamenei was buried on Friday in his hometown of Mashhad.
Vow of Retaliation
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since before the war, amid reports that he was injured and disfigured in the strike that killed his father.
In his statement, he pledged to continue the campaign for retaliation.
"We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," he said.
He added that the effort would continue regardless of who remained in office, saying its fulfilment did not depend on his personal leadership or that of other officials.
During funeral events across Iran, many mourners carried placards calling for the death of US President Donald Trump. On Saturday, Trump warned that any attempt to assassinate him would prompt the United States to "decimate and destroy all areas" of Iran.
Conflict and Diplomatic Efforts
US media, including The Wall Street Journal, reported this week that Israel had shared intelligence suggesting Iran had recently developed a plan to assassinate Trump. However, the US president denied both that Tehran had launched a new plot and that Israel had been the source of such intelligence. He told the New York Post that he had been Iran's "No. 1" target for a long time.
The conflict began on 28 February when US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel as well as US targets and allies in the Gulf.
Although the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in June to facilitate negotiations, tensions have risen again following attacks on three commercial tankers travelling through US-recommended shipping lanes in waters off Oman. Iran has maintained that the only safe route is through its own territorial waters.
Iranian officials said subsequent US strikes killed 17 people and injured 115. Tehran then launched retaliatory strikes against US allies in the Gulf.
The latest exchange led Trump to declare the ceasefire over, although he said negotiations would continue with the help of international mediators.
US officials have reportedly demanded through intermediaries that Iran publicly guarantee the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to international shipping and commit to ending attacks on commercial vessels.
According to US media reports, Iranian officials privately told their American counterparts that the tanker attacks were a mistake carried out by a rogue internal group.
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12 July 2026
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