"Revenge is our nation's desire and will certainly be carried out," Iran's Fars news agency reported today, quoting a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The vow of revenge "will soon be fulfilled in the near future."

The statement followed Iran's burial of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad, eastern Iran, on 10/7. Khamenei and several other Iranian officials and military commanders died when the US and Israel launched airstrikes against the Islamic nation in late February.

"We vow to avenge his pure blood and all martyrs in the conflict," the message continued. "The enemy must understand that this revenge does not depend on my existence or any other official."

Mojtaba expressed gratitude for the massive public turnout at the late supreme leader's funeral. He described it as "astonishing, historic, and shattered the enemy's will."

Iran's national flag with an image of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on a building rooftop in Mashhad on 9/7. *Photo: AFP*

The message released on 11/7 is one of the few statements issued since Mojtaba became Iran's Supreme Leader. He sustained injuries on 28/2 during the initial US-Israel airstrike. The Iranian leader has not appeared in public since assuming office on 8/3, and his written statements have been read on state television.

Iran's Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour confirmed in May that Khamenei "only sustained minor injuries to his face, head, and legs, not resulting in amputation or any serious medical issues" after the airstrike.

Tensions between the US and Iran recently re-escalated after President Donald Trump announced on 8/7 that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran had ended. The US launched airstrikes against southern Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington accused Tehran of being responsible for. Iran retaliated by striking US targets in the Gulf.

President Trump stated on 10/7 that he was Iran's number one assassination target and had instructed the military to carry out "unprecedented massive bombing" if Tehran attempted it.

"1,000 missiles are primed and locked onto Iranian targets, and thousands more will immediately launch afterward if Iran carries out its threats against me," Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social. He also left the door open for negotiations, stating that the US had agreed to Iran's proposal for continued dialogue.

US media reported that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, would negotiate with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on 11/7. Meanwhile, Fars cited Iranian sources saying no negotiations would occur unless the US abandoned its current stance.

Nhu Tam (According to Press TV, AFP)