Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader following his father's death in February, issued his first public statement on March 12, 2026, vowing to continue Iran's resistance against US and Israeli forces. In the statement, read on Iranian state television, Khamenei called for national unity and said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to pressure Iran's enemies.
"We will not forgo avenging the blood of the martyrs. Every citizen killed by the enemy is a case for vengeance in itself," Khamenei said. He added that all US bases in the region should be immediately closed or face attacks.
Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani claimed on Tuesday that US-Israeli strikes had destroyed nearly 10,000 civilian sites, including 7,943 residential homes, 1,617 commercial centers, 32 medical facilities, and 65 schools. He also stated that over 1,300 civilians had been killed, though these figures were not verified by independent sources.
Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in joint US-Israeli strikes. The younger Khamenei's ascension signals that hardline factions in Iran's establishment retain power and could indicate little desire for negotiations in the short term.
Iran analyst Arash Azizi told CNN the message gives "very little hope to Iranians for a better future" and includes "no promise of reform". The statement was unlikely to find favor with US President Donald Trump, who had been hoping for a change in rhetoric from Iran's new leadership.
