Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to avenge the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, declaring that the revenge "will most certainly be carried out."
His warning came after US President Donald Trump threatened overwhelming military retaliation if Iran attempted to assassinate him, further escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Mojtaba Khamenei made his first public remarks since his father's funeral in a written statement read on Iranian state television and later published on his Telegram channel. The statement followed the burial of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Mashhad after nearly a week of funeral ceremonies.
The elder Khamenei, 86, was killed in an airstrike on February 28, the opening day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Since then, his son has largely remained out of public view amid reports that he was seriously wounded in the same attack.
In his message, the new supreme leader vowed to pursue those he blamed for his father's death.
"We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," he said. "This revenge is the demand of our nation, and it will most certainly be carried out."
Khamenei insisted that the pledge was not tied to his personal leadership, writing: "Whether we are present or not, it will come to pass."
He also warned that those responsible "will take the wish for a peaceful death in their beds to their graves," adding that "freedom-loving people throughout the world will each carry out part of this divine mission."
Although Khamenei did not mention Trump by name, his comments came days after US and Israeli officials said intelligence suggested Iranian officials had recently discussed plans to assassinate the US president.
Reports also indicated that Trump switched from a new Air Force One aircraft to an older presidential plane during a trip from Turkey because of heightened security concerns.
Trump responded late Friday with a strongly worded message on Truth Social, warning Tehran against any attempt on his life.
"1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote, adding that if Iran attempted to assassinate "the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!", the US military would "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran."
The exchange of threats follows days of heightened military confrontation between the two countries, including US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian attacks on American allies in the Gulf.
Despite the increasingly hostile rhetoric, diplomatic efforts continue, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holding talks in Oman as mediators seek to prevent the conflict from widening further.