“Revenge Will Not End”: Mojtaba Khamenei’s First Message Signals Prolonged Middle East War

After the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, the newly selected leader Mojtaba Khamenei has delivered his first public message.

His words were brief but unmistakable: “We will neither avoid nor stop revenge.”

In a statement broadcast by Iranian state television on the 12th, Mojtaba Khamenei declared, “I promise that we will never hesitate to avenge the blood of the martyrs.” The message was the first official statement from Iran’s leadership since the massive airstrikes on the 28th of last month that killed much of the country’s senior leadership. It also marks Mojtaba’s first public statement since he was selected as Supreme Leader four days earlier.

The statement suggests that the war is far from over.

The Language of Revenge and the Logic of War

In his statement, Mojtaba described the conflict as a response to the “martyrdom of the revolutionary leader.”

“This revenge is not limited to the martyrdom of the great revolutionary leader,” he said. “It is for all the people who were sacrificed by the enemy.”

His remarks carry a dual message. One is aimed at strengthening internal unity. The other is directed outward as a clear military warning.

Iran has already launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. military positions across the Middle East. Mojtaba made it clear that such operations would continue.

“We did not attack the countries themselves,” he said. “We attacked only U.S. bases. And we will continue to do so if it becomes unavoidable.”

Warning to Gulf States

Mojtaba also addressed countries in the Persian Gulf region.

“If possible, close the U.S. military bases immediately,” he warned.

Although he stated that Iran seeks to maintain “warm and constructive relations” with regional nations, the message was clear: any country hosting U.S. bases could become part of the battlefield.

Small states across the Middle East now face a difficult choice—maintain American military protection or risk becoming targets of Iranian retaliation.

The Memory of War

Mojtaba also referred to the Minab elementary school bombing in southern Iran, where at least 175 people were reportedly killed.

He described the attack as “a deliberate crime committed by the enemy,” adding that Iran would respond with deep sorrow for “our children and our grandchildren.”

Wars often begin with strategic calculations, but their memory is written in civilian suffering. Those memories become anger, and anger becomes the fuel for further conflict.

Negotiation and Compensation

Mojtaba also set conditions for any potential negotiations.

“In any circumstance, we will demand compensation from the enemy,” he said.

“If they refuse to pay compensation, we will seize as much of their assets as we deem appropriate. If that is impossible, we will destroy property of equal value.”

Such language reflects less the tone of diplomacy than another expression of war.

A War Without an End in Sight

Meanwhile, in Washington, Donald Trump has taken a hardline stance, warning Iran’s leadership that “those who seek to become leaders will eventually meet death.”

The clash between great power force and revolutionary resistance is intensifying.

Wars often begin in the name of restoring order. Yet over time, the world begins to question whose order was being restored.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s first message is more than a statement of leadership. It signals that the next chapter of this conflict is only beginning.

And no one can yet say where it will end.