Dubai: Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed on Saturday to “avenge the blood” of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a statement broadcast on state television. The message, issued after the late leader’s funeral ceremonies, said vengeance was “the demand of the nation” and predicted that people worldwide would join what it described as a divine mission.
The pledge came amid renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington. Earlier the same day, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had warned Iran and threatened massive military retaliation if Tehran pursued attacks, saying “1000 missiles are locked and loaded” and would be followed by more if Iran acted on its threats.
The funeral drew public calls for revenge, including banners urging the killing of foreign leaders. Tehran has not issued the specific assurances to the US that Washington’s senior officials sought, namely that the Strait of Hormuz would remain safe for commercial shipping, and instead has insisted on retaining control over the vital waterway and the right to charge transit fees, a stance that runs counter to decades of international practice treating the strait as an international channel.
The recent weeks have seen a cycle of strikes and counterstrikes: US airstrikes that targeted Iranian sites and Iranian retaliatory strikes affecting other countries in the region, prompted in part by attacks on commercial vessels in the strait. US officials said strikes resumed after a hard line faction in Iran sought to undermine a ceasefire, and they warned that the administration is giving negotiators limited time to reach a deal while keeping a wide range of options on the table.
Tehran’s UN diplomat told reporters that any action in the Strait of Hormuz, including reopening or demining, “rests exclusively with Iran.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington’s decision to end waivers permitting Iran to sell crude oil in US dollars violated an interim deal and called for mutual compliance. The US has urged ships to take a southern route through Oman’s waters to avoid Iranian-controlled areas.
US officials also said any nuclear agreement would require Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, material the US says was concentrated at sites hit in 2025, a demand Tehran has repeatedly rejected. Officials warned they would not finalise a deal if Iran continued attacks on shipping.
Separately, residents near Pakdasht and Qiyamdasht outside Tehran reported hearing a large blast on Saturday. Iranian state media said the noise resulted from the controlled disposal of leftover ammunition from the recent conflict, carried out safely under official supervision.