Iran vows revenge as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei pledges response to father’s killing

TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday vowed to avenge the killing of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring that retribution was a national obligation, according to a message published on his official Telegram account and X.

The written message was issued on the occasion of funeral ceremonies held for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

Mojtaba Khamenei said the Iranian nation remained committed to seeking revenge for those killed during the recent conflicts, adding that the deaths of his father and others would not go unanswered.

“The demand of the nation is revenge, and it must certainly be fulfilled,” the message stated, adding that Iran was determined to avenge “the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs” against those it holds responsible.

The statement came as Iran continued nationwide funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid heightened regional tensions following months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

Iran on Thursday buried Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, concluding a week of state funeral ceremonies and public processions across Iran and Iraq.

Thousands of mourners gathered in Mashhad as the funeral procession moved through the city towards the Imam Reza shrine, one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites. Crowds carrying Iranian flags and chanting revolutionary slogans lined the route while senior clerics accompanied the coffin.

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The large turnout slowed the procession, prompting authorities to use a helicopter to transport the coffin over the packed streets for the final stage of the journey before senior clerics offered final prayers at the shrine.

Iranian authorities described the public participation as a demonstration of continued support for the country’s leadership nearly five decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The funeral ceremonies were held against the backdrop of economic challenges, political tensions and years of public unrest.

Attention has also focused on Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts shortly after his father’s death. He has not appeared publicly since the February 28 airstrike, with Iranian authorities releasing only written statements in his name while maintaining tight security around him.

During the burial ceremony, mourners chanted slogans condemning the United States and calling for retaliation over the strike that killed the former leader. Participants also directed chants against US President Donald Trump and expressed support for Iran’s leadership.

The burial in Mashhad brought to an end several days of funeral events that included ceremonies in Tehran and Qom, as well as processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family who were also killed in the February airstrike.