Iran Supreme Leader Vows Revenge For Father’s Killing
Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated after Iran's new supreme leader vowed revenge for his father's death. President Trump has responded with threats of military action, complicating ongoing diplomatic efforts by mediators.
Why it matters
The heightened rhetoric and threat of military escalation pose a significant risk to regional stability in the Middle East.
Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday vowed revenge for the US-Israeli killing of his father and predecessor, hours after President Donald Trump warned against any attempt to assassinate him.
Both sides dialled up the rhetoric after exchanges of fire this week rocked an interim agreement aimed at ending their war, which broke out in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes.
Trump has declared the ceasefire over, while mediators have been trying to salvage diplomacy, with Iranian media reporting that a delegation from Qatar travelled to Iran on Friday.
“Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out,” Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message.
He became Iran’s supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in late February by US-Israeli strikes, but has not been in public since before the war.
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