Iran's supreme leader vows revenge over father's killing

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on July 11 pledged to avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling retaliation "the demand of the nation," state television released his message, officials said.

Funeral ceremonies in Tehran

State television carried the message during funeral ceremonies held months after the February 28 strikes; officials said the elder Ayatollah was killed in US‑Israeli airstrikes on that date. Khamenei's statement framed revenge as an obligation, saying "We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers." The quote was reproduced verbatim by state broadcasters, officials said.

The pledge tightens political pressure inside Iran and raises the prospect of retaliatory action beyond rhetoric, officials said. Security services have previously tied public vows of retribution to covert and overt measures, increasing the risk of targeted strikes, proxy operations, or diplomatic escalations in the region.

Expect monitoring over the next 72 hours: officials and foreign posts will be watching for public orders, troop movements, or claimed attacks through July 15. Any confirmed retaliation would reshape regional security calculations and could trigger diplomatic or military responses from external powers, officials warned.