Iran's New Supreme Leader Calls for Unity, Vengeance Against 'Aggressors'

Iran's new Supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, on Thursday urged neghbouring Muslim-majority countries in the region to clarify their stance regarding the "aggressors" against Iran and the "killers of its people," emphasising that foreign military bases must be shut down immediately. In his first-ever statement, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Hosseini Khamenei addressed regional developments and the ongoing West Asia conflict. Khamenei said neighbouring nations must determine where they stand. "The Islamic Republic without seeking to establish domination and colonialism in the region, is fully prepared for unity and warm, cordial mutual relations with all its neighbors. The countries of the region must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland and the killers of our people. I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible; for they must surely have realized by now that America's claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie," he said. "The enemy has gradually established bases in some neighboring countries over the years. In the recent offensive, some of those military bases were put to use, which naturally we have targeted with attacks, precisely as we had issued explicit warnings, and without making any encroachment on those countries themselves, solely striking those bases," he added. Earlier, Hosseini Khamenei also called for the blockage of Hormuz. Mojtaba further said that they must resist their enemies- the US and Israel. "Dear fighter brothers! The desire of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense," he said. Furthermore, the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used," he said. Khamenei also thanked resistance fighters of Hezbollah and Yemen for supporting the Islamic Regime. "Without a doubt, the solidarity of the components of the resistance front will shorten the path to liberation from the Zionist sedition. The brave and faithful Yemen did not stop defending the oppressed people of Gaza, and the devoted Hezbollah has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic despite all obstacles, and the Iraqi resistance has courageously taken the same line," he said. In his statement, Mojtaba said that honouring the legacy of his predecessors was a difficult task. "For me, leaning upon a place that has been the seat of two great leaders, the great Khomeini and the martyred Khamenei, is a difficult task. I had the honor of visiting their body after martyrdom; what I saw was a mountain of steadfastness, and I heard that he had clenched the fist of his healthy hand," he said. The Iranian leader further vowed vengeance for those who lost their lives in the war. "I assure everyone that we will not forgo vengeance for the blood of your martyrs. The vengeance we have in mind is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes an independent subject in the file of vengeance," he said. "Only a limited amount of blood revenge for the martyrs has so far taken concrete form, but until it is fully achieved, this case will remain on top of all other cases. The crime that the enemy has deliberately committed regarding the Minab Tayyibah Tree School and some similar cases holds a special status in this reckoning," he added. Mojtaba takes over the Supreme Leader's chair at a volatile time, when Iran's neighbours had been bombed by Iran in a barrage of missiles. The tone of his statement suggests that he will continue his fathers campaign against US-Israel strikes.