Mojtaba Khamenei Vows Revenge for His Father's Death

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has asserted that avenging the death of his father is a ‘national demand’ and ‘must be carried out’, according to a written message released on his Telegram account on Saturday (11/7/2026). Khamenei issued the message at the funeral ceremony for his father, the former Supreme Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held months after he was killed in a United States-Israeli airstrike on 28 February. ‘This revenge is the will of our nation and must be executed,’ he said in a letter signed on Friday (10/7). ‘This matter does not depend on my personal existence or that of other officials. Whether we are present or not, it will happen,’ he added, as reported by AFP news agency on Saturday (11/7/2026). ‘We pledge to avenge the blood of the fallen leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from those criminal and despicable murderers,’ Khamenei said in the message. Ayatollah Khamenei was buried in the early hours of Friday (10/7) local time at the Imam Reza Shrine, the most revered Shia holy site in Iran. Iranian state media reported that Khamenei’s body was interred in his hometown of Mashhad, within the religious complex known for its large golden dome and gold-plated minarets. The burial ceremony was held privately, but it was preceded by a week of national mourning and a series of massive public processions that drew over 15 million mourners. According to Iranian estimates, the number reached approximately 43 million mourners. Iran’s Intelligence Ministry lauded the large turnout of mourners, describing the processions in Iran and Iraq as a renewed pledge to the nation’s ideals and the Axis of Resistance. As reported by Iranian media Press TV on Saturday (11/7/2026), in a statement issued on Saturday (11/7), the Iranian ministry expressed gratitude to the people of Iran and Iraq, religious authorities, the governments of friendly nations, and delegations from across the Islamic world for their participation in the funeral processions. The ministry also thanked mourners from Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kashmir, India, Bahrain, and other countries. The ministry described their presence as a demonstration of enduring solidarity with the country. ‘The historic funeral reflected the loyalty and awareness of the Islamic nation and renewed its commitment to Islamic ideals,’ the ministry’s statement read. The ministry also praised the processions organised by Iraqi tribes and religious institutions, stating that it highlighted the eternal bond between the peoples of Iran and Iraq and strengthened the path of resistance. ‘We renew our covenant of blood and struggle with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and will remain on the front lines of the battle against the criminal United States and the child-killing Zionist regime,’ the statement added.