New Iranian leader Khamenei vows ‘never-ending’ revenge in first public statement
WASHINGTON— Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation against the United States and Israel on Thursday, signaling that Tehran will continue to block the world’s most critical oil route as the war strains global energy markets and raises new security concerns in the United States.
Muctaba Khamenei swore revenge in his first public statement since the killing of his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli attacks. It was especially noteworthy that the new leader did not personally attend the statement broadcast on television. Instead, his written words were read aloud in Iranian state media.
“We will never retreat and we will vow to avenge the blood of our martyrs,” he said. “Our revenge will never end, not only for the late Religious leader, but also for the blood of all our martyrs…. Those who killed our children will pay the price.”
The new leader expressed his condolences to the families who lost their children in the attack on a girls’ school in Minab, which killed more than 165 people, most of them children. He stated that the continuation of the conflict “depends on the interests of the parties” and warned that the war could expand.
The Associated Press, citing two sources, reported: outdated intelligence likely led to the United States launching a deadly missile attack on the elementary school. U.S. Central Command relied on target coordinates for the attack using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, according to a person familiar with the preliminary finding.
Khamenei stated that Tehran will continue its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, an important transit point through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply is transported. He also said that his country believes in friendship with its neighbors, but that attacks on US military facilities in the region will continue. He said maintaining pressure on the crossing was a necessary part of Iran’s war strategy.
His remarks come as attacks continue to disrupt shipping and energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. The war caused oil prices to rise 10 percent on Thursday as hostilities in Iran continued.
News from the region stated that Iranian forces intensified attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, hundreds of ships were stranded at the entrances of the strait and shook the global oil markets.
Two oil tankers were hit by explosives near the port of Basra in Iraqi waters. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed at least one crew member and set both ships on fire, according to the Associated Press. A third, unnamed ship was reportedly struck by an “unknown projectile” near Dubai and Jebel Ali, causing a small fire, UK Merchant Marine Operations reported.
The latest incidents follow drone attacks targeting fuel storage facilities across the Gulf, including energy facilities in Bahrain and the port of Salalah in Oman, a major hub for tankers seeking to bypass the Bosphorus.
Khamenei said, “They will pay the price for this. We will destroy their facilities.” “We need to continue our defense activities, including closing the Strait of Hormuz.”
