Iran's supreme leader pledges revenge for slain father and predecessor

The written message has been posted on his Telegram account

A woman walks next to a banner with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, May 8, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that avenging his slain predecessor and father was "the demand of the nation" and "must certainly" take place, according to a written message released on his Telegram account.

Khamenei issued the message on the occasion of funeral ceremonies for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held months after he was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes on Feb 28.

"We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," Khamenei said in the message.