Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first message on Thursday, calling for continued military resistance and saying the Strait of Hormuz should remain a tool of pressure, even as questions persist about his health and whereabouts.
The message was not delivered in person. Instead, it was read aloud by a state television anchor while a still photograph of Khamenei was displayed on screen, meaning that nearly two weeks after the conflict began, no video or audio recording of the new leader himself has been released.
Iranian authorities have provided no direct evidence of his condition following reports that he may have been injured during the strikes that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei.
In the written statement attributed to him, Khamenei addressed the war, domestic unity, regional tensions and retaliation against enemies.
War and military pressure
In the message, Khamenei praised Iran’s armed forces and called for continued military resistance against what he described as aggression by the United States and Israel.
“The demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense.”
He also said Iran should continue to use the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the conflict.
“Certainly the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used,” he wrote.
Khamenei added that Iranian officials were studying the possibility of expanding the war into additional fronts where adversaries were vulnerable.
“Studies have been conducted regarding the opening of other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and is highly vulnerable,” he said. “Activating them will take place if the state of war continues and if it serves our interests.”
The statement also praised what Iran calls the “Axis of Resistance,” thanking allied armed groups in the region for supporting Tehran.
“We consider the countries of the resistance front our best friends,” he wrote. “The resistance front is an inseparable part of the values of the Islamic Revolution.”
He specifically referred to Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq, saying they had stood alongside Iran despite obstacles.
Calls for unity and public participation
Much of the message was directed at Iran’s domestic audience, urging unity and mobilization during wartime.
Khamenei said that during the days immediately following the killing of his father, when Iran had temporarily been without a supreme leader or commander-in-chief, the population itself had shown resilience.
“The insight and intelligence of the great nation of Iran in the recent events and its perseverance, courage and presence astonished friends and enemies alike,” he wrote.
He warned that leadership and government institutions could not function effectively without public support, urging Iranians to maintain active participation in society.
“If your power does not appear on the scene, neither leadership nor any of the institutions whose true role is to serve the people will have the necessary effectiveness,” read the statement.
The new leader also called on citizens to continue participating in political and social activities during the war, including rallies and demonstrations.
“I remind you of the importance of participation in Quds Day ceremonies, where the element of confronting the enemy must be emphasized.”
Threat of retaliation
A major portion of the message focused on retaliation against those responsible for deaths during the war.
Khamenei vowed that the Islamic Republic would continue pursuing revenge for those killed in the conflict. “We will not ignore revenge for the blood of your martyrs,” he wrote.
He said retaliation would not be limited to the killing of his father but would extend to all Iranian casualties.
“The revenge we seek is not only for the martyrdom of the great leader of the revolution,” he wrote. “Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy becomes an independent case for revenge.”
Khamenei said some retaliation had already occurred but that further actions would continue.
“A limited amount of this revenge has already taken place in practice. But until it reaches its complete extent, this case will remain open above all others.”
Warning to regional governments
Khamenei also issued a warning to governments in the Middle East whose territories host US military facilities.
He said Iranian forces had struck some of those bases during the war and suggested further attacks could follow.
“In the recent attack some military bases were used,” he wrote. “As we had clearly warned, and without attacking those countries themselves, we targeted only those bases.”
He added that Iran would continue striking such installations if they were used against the country.
“From now on we will be forced to continue doing this,” he wrote.
Khamenei urged regional governments to shut down foreign military bases.
“These countries must determine their position toward those who have attacked our homeland and killed our people,” he wrote. “I recommend they close those bases as soon as possible.”
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