Father's murder and war deaths will be avenged: Mojtaba Khamenei

Father's murder and war deaths will be avenged: Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has broken his silence for the first time since the burial of his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His written statement was read out on Iranian state television on Saturday, July 11.

In the statement, Mojtaba said the murder of his father and the deaths of those killed in the two wars would be avenged. He said this revenge is the will of the Iranian people.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed along with other family members in a joint US and Israeli strike on February 28. Due to the full-scale war that followed, his burial was delayed until July 9, when he was laid to rest in his birthplace, Mashhad, with full state honours. His body was also taken to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq for tributes.

An estimated 20 million mourners are believed to have gathered to pay their last respects, with the number possibly being higher.