In written message, Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge for slain father will come ‘soon’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that avenging his slain predecessor and father was “the will of the nation” and “must inevitably” take place “soon,” according to a written message attributed to him and released on his Telegram account.

Khamenei issued the message on the occasion of funeral ceremonies for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held months after he was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

“We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,” Khamenei was quoted as saying in the message.

The new supreme leader has not been seen or heard since assuming the role, with only written statements being issued in his name.

“This vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out,” the letter said. “These criminals — of whom we have a complete list from top to bottom — will take with them to their graves the wish for a peaceful death in bed.”

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“This matter depends neither on my personal existence nor on that of other officials. Whether we are present or not, it will come to pass,” it said. “Soon individuals among the freedom-seekers across the world will each carry out part of this divine mission.”

Ali Khamenei was buried on Friday in Mashhad in northeast Iran after a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies that coincided with renewed conflict with the United States following weeks of truce in the four-month-old war.

The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, proclaimed supreme leader by a clerical assembly in early March, a week after his father’s death, have remained a mystery to Iranians.

He is reported to have suffered debilitating injuries in the strike that killed his father, his face disfigured and limbs badly wounded.

Senior sources in Tehran have said he is recovering but that he is not yet well enough to manage public appearances. State security services are also trying to limit his exposure in case of more US attacks.

At the funeral, the crowd chanted slogans demanding revenge on US President Donald Trump for his killing.

“I swear by the blood of the supreme leader, Trump, we will kill you!” they shouted, with women holding up placards reading “Kill Trump.”

Trump said Saturday that he had ordered the military to be prepared to launch major strikes against Iran if the Iranian government carries out or attempts his assassination.

“1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!” he said in a Truth Social post.

“Orders have already been given, and the US Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran — PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!”

Trump’s remarks came two days after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing individuals familiar with the matter, that Israel had shared intelligence with the United States about Iranian plans to kill the American president.

Two US officials told Channel 12 news that the information related to general dialogue between Iranian officials on potentially assassinating Trump, rather than a specific plot, and that Israel had given similar information on plans by Iran and Iran-linked terror groups over the past year.

The officials said that they believed Israel gave the information to the US to improve ties between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump and to try to influence Washington’s policies on Iran.

Iran has been publicly pledging to assassinate Trump since the US killed Iranian IRGC Quds Force Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020.