Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s first public address after his father’s funeral comes with a ‘revenge list,’ naming 13 world leaders after the death of the country’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.The online “revenge list”, published late on Saturday by Hamshahri, names 13 foreign leaders whom it portrays as targets following Khamenei’s death. The publication coincided with the first public message from his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, since his father’s six-day funeral procession last week.The infographic features US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with sniper-style crosshair targets superimposed on their foreheads.Beneath them are 11 other leaders shown wearing orange prison uniforms, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, US secretary of state Marco Rubio and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.In his statement, Mojtaba Khamenei said, “Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out.”He added, “These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”Hamshahri, a newspaper published by authorities in Tehran and known for its provocative tone, carried Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement alongside the online infographic. However, the graphic did not appear in the newspaper’s Sunday print edition, according to AFP.Even with the publication, there was no indication that the list had been officially endorsed by Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei also did not identify the individuals he believed were responsible for his father’s death.Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since before the conflict and was reported to have been injured in the same strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.
Trump assassination reports
The publication came as several US media outlets reported this week that Iran had planned to assassinate Trump.According to CNN, US officials had been monitoring what it described as a “steady drumbeat” of intelligence about possible threats to Trump. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the intelligence, the broadcaster reported that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington regarding a “specific” assassination plot targeting the US president.The reports may also explain why Trump switched planes and travelled on an older aircraft while leaving the Nato summit in Turkey.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “They want to take out the US leader – me. I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists.”
And the conflict goes on
The developments came as the two sides breached ceasefire, raising fresh questions over the prospects of a lasting agreement.The United States carried out strikes on around 140 targets on Sunday morning in response to attacks on commercial ships in the region.Iran said the vessels had “disregarded warnings” about an approved route and declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the “end of US interference in this region”. The waterway carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during peacetime.Following the US strikes, Tehran also criticised several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.Qatar described the attacks on its territory and neighbouring countries as a “dangerous escalation”, while Oman’s state news outlet said the government “affirms its condemnation and denunciation of this attack”.In a post on X, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and one of its main negotiators, wrote, “The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”
