Rania Abushamala
12 July 2026•Update: 12 July 2026
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei renewed pledge on Sunday to avenge his father and other Iranians killed in US-Israeli attacks on the country.
More than 3,000 people, including Mojtaba’s father Ali Khamenei, were killed when the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran in February. The assault came after Washington and Tel Aviv launched a 12-day war on Tehran in June 2025, killing nearly 1,000 people.
"We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all those martyred in these two wars from their criminal and disgraced killers," Khamenei said in a message on the US social media platform X.
He said the “mission of revenge" does not depend on his presence or that of other officials.
"Whether we are here or not, this promise will be fulfilled, and soon free people around the world will each carry out part of this divine mission," he added.
On Saturday, Khamenei said avenging his slain father was "the demand of the nation" and "must certainly" be carried out.
In June, Tehran and Washington signed a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their war and reaching a lasting peace agreement.
Despite the deal, Tehran and Washington exchanged attacks in recent days amid escalation over the passage of commercial traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
