Iran’s supreme leader vows revenge, Trump threatens to decimate Iran

Iran's new supreme leader said revenge for his father's death "will most certainly be carried out," a warning that pushes the confrontation with Washington into the realm of military retaliation, maritime disruption and threats against U.S. and allied assets across the region. Donald Trump answered on Truth Social that he had ordered the U.S. military to be ready if he is killed and said the United States would "completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran."

The statement from Mojtaba Khamenei came after a week of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026, in U.S.-Israeli strikes that set off the current conflict. During the procession, mourners in Tehran chanted for vengeance on Trump, while thousands gathered in Mashhad for the final stage of the burial. The ceremonies were steeped in symbolism, with messages of continuity and revenge replacing any sign of retreat; Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear publicly during the events.

The language on both sides has sharpened the risk picture beyond rhetoric. The immediate pressure point is the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. officials demanded that Iran publicly state the waterway is open and that ships will not be attacked. Any move there would put commercial traffic, energy shipments and allied shipping under the first strain, and would raise the odds of rapid U.S. military response.

The danger is not confined to the sea. Israeli intelligence had warned U.S. officials about possible Iranian discussion of assassinating Trump, and the funeral calls for his killing showed how quickly public mourning has turned into direct threat-making. Khamenei's statement also broadened the frame, saying the response depends not only on Iran but on "free people around the world," a formulation that leaves room for a wider network of pressure well beyond Iran's borders.

The conflict that began with the February 28 strikes has now moved into a second phase, with Iranian leadership pairing funeral rituals with vows of retaliation and Trump answering with explicit threats of overwhelming destruction. The next test is whether the exchange stays at the level of warnings or spills into shipping lanes, regional proxies or direct attacks on U.S. targets.