Trump slams NATO allies as ‘cowards’ for failing to help open Strait of Hormuz; Iran threatens to target tourist sites worldwide; Iran attacks Gulf energy sites,

Newly appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement to the Iranian people on Friday, saying their vigilance and sacrifice had dealt a “crippling blow” to the “enemy.”

Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as religious leader after the Ayatollah was killed at the beginning of the war. The younger Khamenei was not seen in public during the conflict, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that he was likely “wounded” in the attack.

The statement, read by the younger Khamenei on state television, said the “enemy” had a “wrong assumption” that the killing of senior military figures would “create fear and despair among the people and allow them to dominate Iran and eventually divide.”

“Enemies America and Israel have repeatedly tried to harm the Iranian nation, but your resilience and widespread efforts have surprised and weakened them,” the message said.