Iran
A Pakistani Shiite Muslim woman holds a portrait of new Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, during a rally to mark Al-Quds Day (Jerusalem), a commemoration held annually on the last Friday of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Lahore on March 13, 2026. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, declared on Friday that the Islamic republic is prevailing over its adversaries, claiming it has delivered a “dizzying blow” in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, in a written message marking Newroz.
Khamenei, 56, the son of the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei (1939–2026), was appointed to the country’s highest authority on March 9.
“At this moment, thanks to the unique unity forged among you - our compatriots - despite differences in religion, thought, culture, and politics, the enemy has been defeated,” Khamenei said.
His appointment came just over a week after the United States and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign against Iran on February 28, killing several senior leaders and commanders, including his late father.
He described the current conflict - now in its fourth week - as the third major crisis faced by Tehran in the past year, following the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025 and nationwide protests earlier this year, which Tehran blamed on Washington and Tel Aviv.
Khamenei praised the Iranian public for its resilience, asserting that they had dealt “a dizzying blow” to their enemies, leaving them “uttering contradictory words and nonsense.”
He added that the United States and Israel had operated under the “illusion” that assassinating Iran’s leadership would spread fear and despair, ultimately enabling them to dominate and divide the country.
Ali Khamenei and more than a dozen senior security and government officials have been killed since the conflict began.
Mojtaba Khamenei also denied any involvement by Iran or its regional allies in attacks on Oman and Turkey, instead accusing Israel of carrying out “false-flag” operations aimed at sowing discord between Iran and its neighbors.
He warned that such tactics could be repeated elsewhere and predicted that Iran’s unity would only deepen in the coming year, while its enemies would grow weaker.
Born on September 8, 1969, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Mojtaba Khamenei is the second child in his family. At 17, during the Iran-Iraq War, he reportedly took part in fighting against forces loyal to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, while his father served as Iran’s president.
In an earlier message on March 12, he struck a similarly defiant tone, urging security forces to maintain the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz - a move that has disrupted global oil supplies and driven up prices.
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