Iranʼs newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has made his first statement since being elected to office following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
Mojtaba Khameneiʼs statement was read out on Iranian television, as quoted by CNN and Tasnim.
In particular, Iranʼs new leader warned the US and Israel that they must pay "compensation" for their actions.
"If we cannot obtain compensation from the enemy, we will destroy their property just as they destroyed ours," Khamenei said.
He added that Iran will continue to attack US bases in the region, although he believes that there should be friendship between Iran and its neighbors. Therefore, Khamenei advised neighboring countries to close American bases.
In addition, the Iranian supreme leader promised to “avenge the blood of the Iranians killed”. In particular, he mentioned the attack on a school in the city of Minab, which killed 175 people. According to journalists, an American Tomahawk missile could have hit it.
Khamenei also insists on the need to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz and added that Iran is considering opening other fronts.
What preceded
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
The media reported that he was wounded on the first day of the war, so he did not appear in public. His parents and wife were also killed in that attack.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump has told his aides that he would support eliminating Iranʼs new supreme leader if he refuses to comply with US demands.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
At the same time, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has almost stopped. This is a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. About a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. The markets reacted instantly: oil, gas and precious metals rose in price.
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