Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, published his first public statement on Thursday since Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected him to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28.

Khamenei said he learned of the Assembly of Experts’ decision to elect him as Supreme Leader through a broadcast on national television.

Iran’s Position On The Conflict

Khamenei said Iran had “thwarted attempts to divide the country,” adding that “enemy bases in the region aim to control the countries hosting them.”

He stressed that his country believes in maintaining friendly relations with neighboring states but is “forced to continue targeting US bases” there after attacks were launched against Iran from those facilities. Tehran, he explained, targets only military bases and would be compelled to continue such operations if necessary.

“We called for the immediate disabling of US military bases in the region,” he said, claiming that attacks which killed Iranian citizens had been launched from them, while urging regional countries to clarify their position toward “the aggressors and those responsible for the deaths of Iranians.”

“All US military bases in the region must be closed immediately.”

Khamenei also said countries in the region should now realize that the United States’ claim of seeking peace was “nothing but a lie.”

Retaliation And Military Response

Khamenei stressed that Tehran “will not hesitate to retaliate for the crimes committed by the enemy,” particularly referring to the US-Israeli attack on a school in the southern city of Minab that killed more than 160 people, mostly children.

He said Iran would not retreat from avenging “the blood of its martyrs,” adding that “each martyr from our people will have a specific retaliation.”

“Iran would obtain compensation from the enemy under any circumstances…if such compensation is not provided, Iran would destroy property equivalent to the damage inflicted.”

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he said that all available capabilities should be used to close the Strait.

Khamenei warned that if the wartime situation continues, additional fronts could be activated where “the enemy has no experience.”

Regional Relations

Khamenei noted that Iran shares borders with 15 countries and has always sought —and continues to seek— constructive relations with its neighbors.

The Axis of Resistance

On the Axis of Resistance, he expressed “sincere thanks” to fighters and considered the countries aligned with the Axis among Iran’s closest friends, describing the resistance cause as an integral part of the values of the Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei also said cooperation among the components of the resistance front would “shorten the path to ending the Zionist sedition.”

He praised Lebanon’s Hezbollah, saying the group “came to support the Islamic Republic despite all obstacles.”

Khamenei also commended Iraqi armed factions aligned with the resistance, saying they had “bravely followed the path of supporting the Islamic Republic.”

He also praised Yemen, saying it had not abandoned the defense of the “oppressed people of Gaza.”

Message To The Iranian Public

Khamenei called on the Iranian people to remain strongly present in all arenas to counter “enemy plots” against the country.

He also urged the public to maintain a strong presence in public spaces, particularly during events marking International Quds Day, an occasion established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and observed annually on the last Friday of Ramadan. He said public participation should be “clear and prominent.”

The Supreme Leader also called for action across what he described as “the enemies’ soft arenas,” urging broader efforts beyond military confrontation as part of Iran’s response to the ongoing conflict.

Personal Condolences

Ayatollah Khamenei expressed “deep sympathy” with families who have lost loved ones in the US-Israeli attacks, saying his condolences stem from a shared experience of personal loss, as he also mourns the death of his “loyal and dear” wife, who was killed in the recent strikes along with his sister and her son, and her husband.