Iran’s new supreme leader warns enemies: pay compensation or we will destroy your assets

Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reiterated his demand for compensation from what he described as Iran’s “enemies.” According to news agency Xinhua, Khamenei made the statement in a post shared on his Telegram account.

In the message, he said, “We will take compensation from the enemy, and if they refuse, we will seize as much of their property as we decide. If that is not possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of their property.”

Earlier, in his first message to the nation after assuming the role of Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei called for continued resistance and declared that the option of keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed remains on the table. In another message, he vowed to avenge those killed in the ongoing conflict and said Tehran would not back down from seeking justice for its “martyrs.”

According to local media reports, the message was read on Iranian state television by a female presenter. It also stated that Iran should keep the option open to block the Strait of Hormuz and warned that Tehran could open other fronts if necessary.

The message also noted that Iran seeks friendly relations with neighboring countries and would only target bases from which attacks are launched against it. According to a report by Iran International, the statement attributed to the Islamic Republic’s third Supreme Leader was issued without revealing details about Khamenei’s location, health or physical condition.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been injured and forced into hiding as Iran’s military leadership faces heavy pressure from ongoing US attacks.

During a briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth said Iran’s leadership is under increasing pressure due to the continuing military operations. Notably, on February 28, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Tehran and several other Iranian cities. The attacks reportedly killed Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior military commanders.

Iran later retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel as well as US bases and assets in the Middle East. Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected his son Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader on March 8.