"We pledge to avenge your pure blood": Iran's Supreme Leader issues warning after father's death

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed that those responsible for the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will face retribution, describing revenge as both a national obligation and a divine mission. In a message issued after the late leader's funeral and burial, Mojtaba Khamenei also hailed the massive public turnout across Iran and Iraq, pledging to continue his father's legacy.

"We pledge to avenge your pure blood," says Mojtaba Khamenei

In a message released on the occasion of the funeral and burial of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vowed that those behind his father's assassination would not escape justice.

"We pledge to avenge your pure blood and that of all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and dishonourable murderers. This revenge is the will of our nation and must be carried out without fail," he said.

He asserted that those responsible "will take with them to their graves the wish for a peaceful death in bed", adding that the pursuit of revenge was not dependent on any one individual or government official.

"They should know that this matter does not depend on the existence of me or other officials. Whether we are there or not, this will be accomplished, and soon every free person around the world will fulfil a part of this divine mission," he added.

Mojtaba Khamenei also praised what he described as the unprecedented public participation during the six-day funeral ceremonies held across Iran and Iraq.

"On this occasion, I would like to sincerely appreciate the presence of tens of millions of people in the cities and villages of Iran and Iraq, especially Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad, which is astonishing, enemy-breaking, and historic," he said.

Funeral held in Mashhad as Iran mourns slain supreme leader

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest late Thursday night at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, where thousands of mourners gathered to bid farewell to the slain leader.

His coffin was carried around the shrine before the final burial at the Dar al-Dhikr prayer hall, in keeping with funeral traditions. The funeral prayers were led by his eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei.

Referring to the religious legacy of Imam Hosayn, Mojtaba Khamenei said the Iranian nation remained committed to that cause.

"Our nation is the bloodthirsty one for Hosayn. This great nation sacrificed its children for many years in the cause of Hosayn and in the war against the enemies of Hosayn and the Hosayni cause. And now it is the bloodthirsty one for him and the Hosayni people of the time," he said.

Mojtaba Khamenei vows to carry forward his father's legacy

Paying tribute to the late supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to uphold his father's teachings despite future challenges.

"Now that we bid farewell to your body with tearful eyes and broken hearts, we pledge with you to uphold your school and to walk the straight path you have drawn with perseverance and not be afraid of difficulties on this path, and like you, to take heart in the good news and promises of God," he said.

Concluding his message, Mojtaba Khamenei offered prayers for his father and those killed alongside him in the US-Israeli strikes, describing them as martyrs.

"O martyr father of the nation, may you be blessed with the nectar of martyrdom that you have been longing for all your life... And you, his oppressed companions, who were unexpectedly attacked by the enemy and martyred, are blessed to be the guests of that Master... his safe neighbourhood has become your home," he said.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 earlier this year, triggering a wider conflict across West Asia. Following his death, Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

(With inputs from ANI)