In first message, Iran's new leader Mojtaba Khamenei calls revenge for his slain predecessor 'certain'; Trump threatens to strike Iran

Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in his first written message since his father's funeral, that avenging the killing of the previous leader is "the demand of the nation" and that carrying it out is "certain." The message pledged that Iran would "take revenge for the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the killers."

The remarks came amid sharply rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. In a message late Friday, US President Donald Trump warned that a thousand missiles are "locked and loaded" aimed at Iran and that he had issued military instructions to "destroy all areas of Iran" if any move were made against him. The exchange followed two nights of mutual strikes last week and coincided with Saturday's talks in Muscat on mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Rising geopolitical tension typically keeps a risk premium in global oil prices and can add pressure on Iran's exchange rate while lifting safe-haven demand for gold in the domestic market.