Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday vowed that vengeance would be carried out for the killing of his predecessor and father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring that retribution was “the demand of the nation” while suggesting that supporters beyond Iran would also play a role in achieving that objective.
The written statement, broadcast by Iranian state television, marked Mojtaba Khamenei’s first public message since funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began a week earlier. The former supreme leader was killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28, the opening day of a war that has since reshaped the regional security landscape and heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
“We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,” the statement said.
The new supreme leader said retaliation “must certainly” take place, describing it as a national obligation. At the same time, he suggested the effort would not rest solely with Iran, saying people around the world who support Iran’s cause would ultimately contribute.
“Whether we are there or not, this will be accomplished, and soon every free person around the world will fulfill a part of this divine mission,” the statement said.
The message came as renewed exchanges of military strikes between U.S. and Iranian forces this week cast fresh doubt over a fragile truce intended to halt the four-month conflict. Although both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement, diplomatic contacts have continued in parallel with the military confrontation.
President Donald Trump said Friday that the ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran was effectively over following the latest escalation. Nevertheless, he also said the United States and Iran had agreed to continue negotiations, leaving open the possibility of reviving diplomatic efforts despite the renewed violence.
Iranian officials have continued to argue that the interim agreement reached with Washington could eventually deliver significant economic benefits, particularly through sanctions relief and the restoration of commercial activity disrupted by months of conflict.
Saturday’s statement also highlighted the continuing uncertainty surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei himself. Despite becoming Iran’s supreme leader on March 8 with the backing of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he has not appeared publicly since the airstrike that killed his father.
Senior Iranian sources have previously said Mojtaba Khamenei suffered facial disfigurement and other injuries during the attack. Since then, no photographs, video footage or audio recordings of the new supreme leader have been released, fueling speculation both inside and outside Iran about his condition.
His prolonged absence from public view has prompted questions among some Iranians, many of whom believe the country’s new leader should make a public appearance regardless of any injuries to reassure the nation during a period of heightened instability.
The leadership transition follows nearly four decades under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years and oversaw the country’s domestic and foreign policies through decades of confrontation with the United States and its regional allies.
State media reported Friday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried at one of Iran’s holiest shrines after funeral ceremonies that drew massive crowds of mourners from across Iran and neighboring countries. The ceremonies were presented by Iranian authorities as a display of national unity and resistance despite the continuing military and diplomatic pressures facing the Islamic Republic.
With fighting still threatening to reignite and negotiations remaining uncertain, Mojtaba Khamenei’s first public statement signals that Iran’s leadership intends to maintain a confrontational posture while simultaneously leaving room for diplomacy. The combination of promises of vengeance and continued political engagement underscores the delicate balance Tehran is attempting to strike as it navigates one of the most volatile periods in the country’s recent history.
