Mojtaba Khamenei, the official “supreme leader” of Iran and son of late dictator Ali Khamenei, allegedly published a written statement this weekend read aloud on state television vowing “revenge” against the United States.
Khamenei became “supreme leader” in February after President Donald Trump launched “Operation Epic Fury,” which on its first day resulted in the elimination of Ali Khamenei. He has neither been seen in public nor released audio messages since the government declared him the new dictator, prompting extensive speculation that he has been disfigured, severely injured, or otherwise incapacitated. Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence was especially noted last week as formal burial rites for his father took place, attended by three of his brothers but not the alleged head of the country.
In the absence of a functional “supreme leader,” the military and civilian wings of Iran’s government have become embroiled in a power struggle resulting in both sides sending conflicting public messages and disrupting attempted negotiations with the United States. While Iran’s civilian leadership and America signed a “memorandum of understanding” in late June that required Iran to stop disrupting global commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the terrorist Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks against ships in the last week as the funeral ceremonies continued, targeting ships linked to Iran’s Arab neighbors. Those attacks resulted in a kinetic response from the U.S. government and subsequent IRGC strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain, and other neighboring states.
In the context of renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran – President Trump announced that the ceasefire had ended this weekend, though talks allegedly continue – Iranian state media dropped the alleged Khamenei statement, threatening to kill all those involved in the conflict that took his father’s life.
“As we bid farewell to your body with tearful eyes and broken hearts, we pledge to safeguard your legacy, to steadfastly traverse the straight path you laid out, to fear no hardships along the way, and to attach our hearts to divine promises and glad tidings as you did,” the Khamenei statement reportedly read, addressing his father.
“We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars by taking revenge against the criminal, disgraceful murderers,” the statement continued, without mentioning President Trump or his administration by name. “This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done. These criminals, whose names are fully documented from the highest to the lowest ranks, will carry their dream of a peaceful death in bed to the grave.”
“They must know that this action doesn’t depend on my presence or that of any other official. Whether we are here or not, this will be done. Soon, free-spirited people throughout the world will each carry out a part of this divine mission,” the statement predicted.
The statement compared Ali Khamenei to Imam Hussain, the grandson of Muhammad largely considered the third imam of Shia Islam in history. It claimed that “tens of millions” mourned the mass murderer Khamenei throughout the past week, whose body was paraded nationwide. The alleged Mojtaba Khamenei described his father as an inheritor of Hussain’s legacy, writing, “Our nation seeks to take revenge for the blood of Hussain. For years, this great nation has sacrificed its children on the path of Hussain, battling the enemies of Hussain and the enemies of Hussain’s way.”
“Today, this nation seeks to take revenge for his blood and the blood of the people like Hussain of our time,” he asserted.
Reuters observed that the statement was first read on state television on Saturday, following the funeral ceremonies of the past week, and not using recorded audio of Khamenei. The new “supreme leader” has so far only communicated to the Iranian public by this method, appearing on state television once in March in undated footage, offered without any meaningful context as to when it was recoded. According to Reuters, its “senior sources” believe that the younger Khamenei “suffered facial disfigurement” in the airstrikes that took his father’s life, thus resulting in Iranian leaders hiding him from the public. Shortly after the announcement that he had been appointed “supreme leader,” rumors swirled that he was significantly injured, possibly comatose, and potentially homosexual, none of which have been corroborated with any material evidence.
While Khamenei skipped his father’s funeral, the family was represented by brothers Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei during the first weekend of mourning on July 5. While Ali Khamenei is believed to have died on February 28, the Iranian regime waited to time the funeral observances to align with the 250th birthday of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. Iranian state media claimed that the government had corralled “millions” of people to attend the funerals, many of them carrying banners and signs explicitly calling for the death of President Donald Trump.
President Trump revealed in an interview with the New York Post on Friday that he is aware of Iran’s intentions to assassinate him and has planned for steps following his death should it occur while he is in office.
“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”
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