Iran issued its first message on behalf of its new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday, saying it would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacking US bases in the region.
However, the letter was read on state television rather than delivered live or on video, and will do little to satisfy those seeking proof that the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is actually alive.
In the message, Khamenei said he would demand compensation from the United States for its attacks and that if Washington refused he would order the destruction of its assets equivalent to the amount owed to Iran.
With doubts circulating about his health after the deadly attack on his father’s compound on the first day of the US-Israeli attack, the message read on state television is sure to be closely scrutinized for the first clues about the kind of leadership the politician, so far behind the scenes, intends to provide.
Described as a hardliner close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khamenei, 56, said little in his message about the country’s recent internal divisions except to praise “the masses of people who have gathered in magnificent assemblies to reaffirm their loyalty to the system.”
“There should be no harm to the unity of the nation among individuals and groups in the nation, which usually becomes especially evident in times of difficulty,” he said, calling for “points of disagreement” to be overlooked. He also praised the Iranian people for standing up to the aggressor, saying it had provoked the admiration of friends and the amazement of enemies.
He said he was sure that the masses wanted Iran to continue on its path and that “the influence of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used. Studies have been done on opening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be seriously vulnerable.”
He also praised the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon for coming to Iran’s aid despite all obstacles, although the Houthis have so far stayed out of the conflict.
He vowed that Iran would avenge the “blood of its martyrs,” including the approximately 175 people who died in the missile attack on a primary school in Minab. A preliminary US military investigation reportedly determined that Washington was responsible for the attack.
Addressing relations with Iran’s neighbors in the Gulf after daily missile and drone bombardments from Tehran, Khamenei said: “The enemy has gradually established bases, both military and financial, in some of these countries over the years to ensure its dominance over the region.
“In the recent attack some military bases were used and, naturally, as we had explicitly warned and without any aggression towards those countries, we only attacked those bases. From now on, we will inevitably continue with this action, although we still believe in the need for friendship between us and those neighbors.”
He urged the Gulf States to “clarify their stance towards the aggressors of our beloved homeland and the murderers of our people. I recommend that they close those bases as soon as possible, because they must have realized by now that the United States’ claim to establish security and peace was nothing more than a lie.”
Unlike Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian last weekend, Khamenei offered no apology for the damage inflicted on the Gulf states, insisting that Tehran was not seeking to colonize or dominate. He said Gulf leaders would forge stronger ties with their own people and increase their wealth if they severed their countries’ ties with Washington.
He said he learned of his elevation by watching television and admitted the task was difficult for him. He also addressed the loss of his family in the US-Israeli attack. “Apart from my father, whose loss has become a public matter, I have lost my dear and loyal wife… my devoted sister who dedicated herself to serving our parents and finally received her due reward, her young son and another sister’s wife… to the caravan of martyrs,” he said.
He also revealed that he had gone to see his father’s body. No date has been set for his funeral.
