TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a stark warning that the “criminal murderers” of slain security chief Ali Larijani will “soon have to pay” for the killing, as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate .
In a written statement published on his official Telegram channel on the day of Larijani’s funeral in Tehran, Khamenei offered condolences for the death of the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who was killed in an Israeli strike Tuesday night along with his son and several colleagues .
“Undoubtedly, the assassination of such a figure shows the extent of his importance and the hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him,” Khamenei said .
The Supreme Leader paid tribute to Larijani’s decades of service, describing him as “a learned, farsighted, intelligent, and committed individual” who served across political, military, security, cultural, and managerial fields for nearly 50 years .
“Every drop of spilled blood comes at a price, and the criminal murderers of these martyrs will soon have to pay it,” Khamenei added, vowing that such assassinations would only make the Islamic establishment “stronger” .
The killing of Larijani follows the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—Mojtaba’s father—in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that ignited the current conflict . Since then, several top Iranian officials have been killed, including Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani .
Iran has responded with barrages of missile and drone attacks on Israeli-occupied territories and US bases in the region, with the Revolutionary Guard warning that “the war will continue until the aggressors surrender” .
The new Supreme Leader, who has not appeared publicly since assuming office, is believed to be sheltering in an undisclosed location amid Israeli vows to “track down, find, and neutralise” him .
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