Mojtaba Khamenei delivers first public address as Iran’s Supreme Leader

2026-03-12 - 13:34

Shafaq News- Tehran Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, published his first public statement on Thursday, since Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected him to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28. Khamenei said Iran had “thwarted attempts to divide the country,” adding that “enemy bases in the region aim to control the countries hosting them.” He stressed that Tehran believes in maintaining friendly relations with neighboring states but said Iran is “forced to continue targeting US bases” there after attacks were launched against Iran from those facilities. Khamenei stressed that Tehran “will not hesitate to retaliate for the crimes committed by the enemy,” particularly referring to what he described as the attack on a school in the southern city of Minab that killed more than 118 people, mostly children. He urged countries in the region to close US military bases on their territory, arguing that such facilities are used to launch attacks against Iran, confirming that Iran targets only US bases in the region.” He called the Iranian people to remain strongly present in all arenas to thwart what he described as enemy plots against the country. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he said that all available capabilities should be used to close the Strait. Khamenei also called for action across what he described as the enemies’ “soft arenas,” urging broader efforts beyond military confrontation as part of Iran’s response to the ongoing conflict. This is a breaking story...