Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has delivered his first public message since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and it has coincided with the publication of a striking “revenge list” in the Iranian press.

The list was released online by Hamshahri, a national daily newspaper, late on Saturday. It names thirteen foreign leaders whom it portrays as targets in the aftermath of Ali Khamenei’s death. The publication was accompanied by a graphic layout that placed US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under sniper-style crosshairs.

Beneath them, eleven other leaders were depicted in orange prison uniforms. These included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, US Central Command Commander Brad Cooper, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

In his statement, Mojtaba Khamenei declared that vengeance was the will of the Iranian nation and must inevitably be carried out. He warned that those named would never enjoy a peaceful death in their beds.

Despite the dramatic imagery, there was no indication that the list had been formally endorsed by Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei himself did not specify which individuals he held directly responsible for his father’s assassination. His absence from public view since before the outbreak of hostilities has been noted, with reports suggesting he sustained injuries in the same strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February.

The publication of the list coincided with reports in US media that Iran had planned to assassinate President Trump. CNN cited unnamed sources familiar with intelligence assessments, stating that Israel had shared information with Washington about a specific plot targeting the US leader.

These reports may explain Trump’s decision to switch aircraft when departing the NATO summit in Turkey, opting for an older plane. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he remarked that Iran wanted to eliminate him, adding that he had seen his name on “every single one of their lists.”

The developments came as the fragile ceasefire collapsed. On Sunday morning, the United States launched strikes on approximately 140 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. Tehran insisted that the vessels had ignored warnings about an approved route and announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until US interference in the region ended.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during peacetime. Its closure has immediate implications for energy markets and global trade.

Following the US strikes, Tehran also directed criticism at several Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Qatar described the attacks on its territory and neighbouring states as a dangerous escalation. Oman’s state media reported that its government condemned and denounced the strikes.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, reinforced the message in a post on X, declaring that the era of one-sided deals was over. He warned that those who failed to honour commitments would pay the price, adding that “reality is knocking.”

This sequence of events underscores the volatility of the region following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The emergence of the revenge list, the intelligence reports of assassination plots, and the renewed military exchanges highlight the deepening crisis and the uncertainty surrounding any prospects for peace.

ANI