Iran’s supreme leader vows to avenge father’s death

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday swore that Iran would avenge the killing of his father, the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs,” said Khamenei, who took his father’s place as the head of Iran’s leadership after a deadly Israeli airstrike in late February.

“This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done,” he added.

The new threats come after the breakdown of a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. launched new strikes on Iran earlier this week in response to the Iranian regime’s attacks on shipping in the critical waterway of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. has given Iran until Saturday to stop its attacks in the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman for talks to mediate the dispute.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump issued threats of his own, promising to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” in response to any attempts on his life.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public for months, and has been rumored to have been left disfigured after being injured by an airstrike.