Mojtaba Khamenei has delivered his first message since becoming Iran’s Supreme Leader, despite reports that he is in a coma and lost a leg after a US-Israeli air strike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.
In a written statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the new leader vowed retaliation for Iranians killed in the conflict. “We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” he said, adding that every citizen killed by the enemy would be treated as a separate case demanding revenge.
Khamenei also promised justice for victims of a reported missile strike on a school that he said killed 175 children, insisting that Iran’s response had already begun but would continue until it was fully achieved.
Conflicting reports about his condition persist. Some sources claim the strike left him with severe internal injuries and resulted in the loss of one leg, with suggestions he is currently in a coma, although Iranian authorities have not confirmed the full extent of his injuries.
He warned that Iran could escalate the conflict further, including targeting ships passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments.
The statement came only days after Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader following his father’s death in a strike that triggered the latest escalation in the regional conflict.
