Trending Now - Iran Pledges to Continue Resistance Under Mojtaba Khamenei

WHO:

Mojtaba Khamenei, new supreme leader of Iran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, late supreme leader of Iran

President Trump, President of the United States

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel

Danny Citrinowicz, Middle East analyst and nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)

Houthis in Yemen

Hezbollah in Lebanon

WHAT:

Iran vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacks on U.S. bases in the region.

Khamenei demanded compensation from the U.S. for its attacks and threatened to destroy U.S. assets equivalent to the amount owed.

Khamenei stated that Iran would avenge the estimated 175 people killed in a missile strike on a primary school in Minab.

Khamenei praised the Houthis and Hezbollah for their support.

President Trump stated that the U.S. has "already won in many ways" but has not won enough.

Citrinowicz claimed that the chances of regime change in Iran are "very slim" without ground troops.

WHERE:

Strait of Hormuz

Iran

Minab, Iran

Gulf states

WHEN:

Khamenei's message was issued on March 12th, 2026.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during airstrikes on February 28th, 2026.

The missile strike on the primary school in Minab resulted in casualties on February 28th, 2026.

WHY:

Khamenei's message aimed to assert Iran's resistance against U.S. actions and to unify the nation amidst internal divisions.

Citrinowicz suggested that the U.S. and Israel underestimated Iran's capabilities and the regime's resilience.

HOW:

Khamenei's message was read out on state TV rather than delivered live or on video.

The U.S. and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran, which led to the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

(UPDATED March 13, 2026 09:08 UTC)

In a bold message issued yesterday, Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacks on U.S. bases, demanding compensation for recent U.S. airstrikes that killed his predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He also expressed intentions to avenge the deaths of 175 people from a missile strike on a primary school in Minab, while praising the support from the Houthis and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, President Trump remarked that the U.S. has "already won in many ways" but emphasized that more victories are needed, as analysts suggest that the chances of regime change in Iran remain slim without ground troops.