ALBAWABA- Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his first public message as Iran’s Supreme Leader on Thursday, outlining Tehran’s priorities amid the escalating war with the United States and Israel.
In a statement broadcast on state television, Khamenei pledged continued retaliation for Iranian casualties, including victims of the recent Minab school attack, and for the assassination of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, who died in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
“A limited part of this revenge has already taken shape, but until it is fully achieved, it will remain among our main priorities,” Khamenei said.
He also demanded reparations from what he called Iran’s adversaries, warning that if compensation is not paid, Tehran would seize or destroy equivalent assets belonging to its enemies. Khamenei confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as a “tool of pressure,” a move with major implications for global energy markets.
⭕ LIVE: Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, gives first address since his appointment and the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. https://t.co/ibiuNLe0Rq
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Addressing regional governments, the Iranian leader urged Gulf states to shut down U.S. military bases on their territory, warning they could face attacks if the facilities remain operational. He also dismissed U.S. security guarantees to regional allies as “nothing but a lie.” Khamenei praised allied groups across what Tehran calls the “resistance front,” including forces in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.
His remarks come as Donald Trump has warned of further U.S. escalation if Iran continues disrupting oil shipments through the strategic waterway, including potential strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure.
Separately, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that attacks on Iran’s electricity grid could trigger a regional blackout within minutes, creating conditions for retaliatory strikes on U.S. forces.
