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Mojtaba Khamenei Pledges Retribution in First Public Message
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a written pledge to avenge the killing of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing revenge as a national obligation in his first public message since assuming power.
The statement, published on his official Telegram and X accounts during funeral ceremonies for his father, declared: “We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars by taking revenge against the criminal, disgraceful murderers. This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done.”
Father Laid to Rest in Mashhad
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, concluding week-long funeral ceremonies across Iran and Iraq following his death in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28.
Thousands of mourners gathered in Mashhad as the funeral procession made its way through crowded streets. Authorities ultimately deployed a helicopter to transport the coffin over the dense crowds for the final journey to the shrine, one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites.
Iranian officials portrayed the large public turnout as evidence of continued support for the theocratic state nearly five decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite persistent economic difficulties and years of public unrest.
Successor’s Condition and Security
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts shortly after his father’s death but has not appeared publicly since the February 28 strike, which reportedly left him with debilitating injuries. No photographs, videos, or audio recordings have been released, with authorities maintaining tight security and limiting his exposure.
Calls for Retribution
During the burial ceremony, mourners chanted slogans condemning the United States and calling for retaliation, with some directing chants against President Donald Trump. The ceremonies included events in Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala for Khamenei and four family members killed alongside him.
