‘I lost my father, wife’ — Iran’s new supreme leader vows revenge

Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran, has called for national unity while acknowledging the personal and national losses suffered during the recent conflict.

The message, read on state television on Thursday, March 12, expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones and promised that the government would compensate those affected by the damage caused during the war.

“We have to protect this unity and this is only possible when we are together and we find common ground,” the statement said.

Khamenei linked the nation’s suffering to his own personal losses, revealing that members of his family were among those killed in recent strikes.

“I lost my father, I lost my wife. My sister lost her child as well as her husband,” he said, referring to the death of his father and former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

He said faith and patience would help the nation endure the difficult period.

“What makes it easier for us to endure all these plights is to trust the grace of God and to know that patience will resolve it,” he added.

Khamenei also praised citizens across the country for their resilience, commending people “from all walks of life who stood against the enemy.”

At the same time, the new leader vowed that those killed during the conflict would be avenged.

“I assure everyone that we will not ignore the fact that we are going to revenge our martyrs,” he said.

“It is not only about the fact that they martyred our supreme leader. It is about every single countryman that has been killed during the recent war.”