Tehran, Mar 12: In a seismic moment as Iran battles US and Israeli forces, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei—long eyed as successor—issued his maiden public statement, rallying the faithful and vowing unyielding resistance against the “Zionist-American crusade.”
“Under Allah’s grace, the Islamic Republic stands unbroken; every drop of martyr’s blood waters our victory,” the reclusive cleric declared in a video address from a secure Qom bunker, his voice steady amid Tehran sirens and missile barrages. He slammed the school bombing and Hormuz blockade as “genocidal barbarism,” urging global Muslims to jihad while praising IRGC defiance.
First emerging post-2022 succession whispers, Mojtaba’s words signal regime steel—perhaps prepping for worst-case scenarios if father Ali’s health falters. As Saudi tankers sneak through and India frets fuel, his debut stokes fears of endless holy war, with IRGC fleets eyeing Bab-el-Mandeb next. Tehran digs in; world holds breath.
