Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei promised on Saturday that Iran will strike back for the deaths of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and all other Iranians killed during the war with the U.S. and Israel.
The former Supreme Leader’s funeral took place over the course of six days, with millions of mourners gathering to grieve their leader’s death. People were seen holding banners saying “Kill Trump” in English, as the U.S. and Iran exchanged the most fire since the ceasefire went into effect in April. Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement vowing revenge on behalf of his father, having not been seen in public since he was wounded in an airstrike at the beginning of the war.
“To our martyred Leader: O unjustly slain Leader! O righteous servant of God!” the Iranian Supreme Leader wrote. “We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two [recent] wars by taking revenge against the criminal, disgraceful murderers. This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done.”
“The criminal, disgraceful murderers of the martyred Leader, 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,” Khamenei finished.
The statement echoes other Iranian comments that seem to threaten not only the United States, but President Donald Trump personally. In response, the president has said that the U.S. military has orders to “decimate” Iran if he is killed.
“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!” Trump wrote.
“Orders have already been given, and the U.S. 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!” the president continued.
IRAN WILL TARGET ISRAEL IF US CONTINUES STRIKES AFTER CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES, OFFICIAL WARNS
The Trump administration demanded on Friday that Iran announce the opening of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, but the Iranian regime has made no such announcement so far. A U.S. official told reporters that recent Iranian strikes on commercial shipping in the waterway were caused by a radical Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unit seeking to sabotage the ceasefire.
After the request was made public, an Iranian diplomat declared that only Tehran has the authority to determine whether the strait is opened or closed.
