Mojtaba Khamenei Vows Revenge for Father's Death After Funeral Procession

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has declared he will avenge the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the conclusion of the funeral procession. “We pledge to avenge the blood of the fallen leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and despicable killers,” Mojtaba said in a written statement read on Iranian state television on Saturday (11/7/2026). Mojtaba stressed that retribution for the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a national demand and must occur. “Whether we are present or not, this will be achieved, and soon every free person in the world will fulfil part of this divine mission,” he stated. The written statement was Mojtaba’s first public message after the completion of his father’s funeral rites, during which he did not appear in public. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in the Imam Reza Shrine complex in Mashhad. The funeral rites lasted approximately one week, from 4 to 9 July 2026. The figure who led Iran for 37 years was killed in an attack by the United States and Israel on 28 February 2026. Khamenei’s daughter and son-in-law also lost their lives in the attack. Following the attack, Iran struck US military facilities in several Gulf states and launched rocket attacks into Israeli territory. One global consequence of the war was a surge in world oil prices, as Iran tightened maritime traffic access in the Strait of Hormuz. On 17 June 2026, Iran and the US finally agreed to the Islamabad Memorandum, which established a new 60-day ceasefire to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The cessation of hostilities also covered Lebanon. However, on 27 June 2026, the US military launched air strikes on maritime surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, and coastal air defence sites in Iran. US President Donald Trump stated the strikes were forced because Iran had first attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, an action deemed a violation of the Islamabad Memorandum commitments. Iran subsequently retaliated by launching air strikes on US military bases or facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. Several countries, including Pakistan as mediator, have called on the US and Iran to return to compliance with the ceasefire agreement.