Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has pledged to avenge the deaths caused since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television on Thursday, Khamenei said Iran would continue pursuing retaliation until it considers justice fully served. According to the message, some steps toward that objective have already been taken, but further actions remain a priority for the country.
He warned that Iran intends to seek compensation from its adversaries and suggested that if such demands are not met, Tehran could seize or destroy property equivalent to the losses it claims to have suffered.
The statement marks Khamenei’s first public message since he was declared the country’s supreme leader following the death of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes attributed to the United States and Israel. The attack triggered a wider conflict that has since spread across parts of the Middle East.
Iran’s health authorities reported that more than 1,200 people have been killed and over 10,000 civilians injured since the conflict began.
The 56-year-old leader has not yet appeared publicly since assuming the position, and local media earlier suggested he had been injured during the war.
In his message, Khamenei also called for the removal of American military bases from the region and criticised Washington’s claim of maintaining peace and security.
He further suggested using the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage, referring to the possibility of blocking the critical waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.
Khamenei expressed appreciation for Iran’s regional allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen and armed groups in Iraq, describing them as key partners in what he called the “Resistance Front”.
Shortly after the statement was aired, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that they had launched attacks on Israeli targets and US military facilities in the region.
