Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared Saturday that revenge for his father's death will unfold, signaling continued escalation in a standoff that has prompted extraordinary security measures for the sitting U.S. president.
Khamenei, who was gravely wounded in the attack that killed his father Ali Khamenei, made the pledge via Telegram after the burial ceremony concluded a week of massive public funerals. The son has remained out of public view since the assassination.
In his statement, Khamenei vowed to "avenge your pure blood and the blood of all those martyred in these two wars by bringing the criminal and dishonorable killers to justice." He framed the promised retaliation as a national obligation and emphasized that it would proceed regardless of his own status or presence. The revenge "will be accomplished," he wrote, even if he dies, and he called on "freedom-loving people throughout the world" to help carry out what he described as a "divine mission."
The statement stopped short of naming President Trump directly, though throughout the funeral week, crowds chanted demands for his death.
Intelligence shared between Israeli and U.S. officials this week indicated that Iranian government figures had recently discussed plans to assassinate Trump. The disclosure prompted a dramatic shift in presidential security. On Wednesday, Trump switched from the new Air Force One aircraft to an older plane mid-trip while returning from Turkey, a decision driven by security concerns according to reports.
Trump responded late Friday with an uncompromising warning on Truth Social. He claimed to have "1000 Missiles" locked on Iran and threatened that thousands more would follow immediately if Tehran acted on assassination threats. Trump stated he had ordered the U.S. military to "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran" and set a one-year timeline, subject to extension, for the operation.
The president's post ended with an unusual phrase: "PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!"
The escalating rhetoric marks a sharp intensification in U.S.-Iran tensions following the death of the longtime supreme leader. The public vows and explicit military threats suggest both sides are now operating without the diplomatic guardrails that previously governed such disputes, raising the stakes for any miscalculation or unplanned confrontation.
Author James Rodriguez: "When a new Iranian leader opens by promising divine retribution and the U.S. president counters with apocalyptic threats, the room for error shrinks fast."
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