Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared on Saturday that avenging the killing of his father and predecessor was “the demand of the nation” and “must inevitably be carried out,” hours after US President Donald Trump threatened to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” if any attempt were made on his life. The exchange of written statements, following a week of tit-for-tat strikes that shattered a fragile interim ceasefire, marked a sharp intensification of rhetoric between Tehran and Washington.

In a message released on his Telegram account and read on state television, Khamenei said Iran had compiled a list of those responsible for the 28 February US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that vengeance “depends neither on my personal existence nor on that of other officials.” The statement, his first public communication since his father’s funeral, came after Trump posted on Truth Social that “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran,” with orders already given to the US military. According to Iranian state media, the new supreme leader has not appeared in public since the attack, with some reports citing facial injuries.

The rhetorical escalation unfolded against the backdrop of a collapsing diplomatic framework. A memorandum of understanding signed in June, mediated by Pakistan, had called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but both sides resumed strikes this week after Iran was accused of targeting commercial vessels it said had deviated from approved routes. US news outlets Axios and Politico reported that Washington has given Tehran until Saturday to halt attacks on shipping and acknowledge the waterway is open. Iran, however, insists on controlling passage and charging fees, a position Washington rejects as contrary to customary international law. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman on Saturday for talks on administering the strait, while a Qatari delegation visited Tehran to reinforce Doha’s mediator role, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The war began in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes that killed the elder Khamenei and, according to Iranian officials, also wounded Mojtaba. The younger Khamenei was named supreme leader in March with the backing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but has remained out of sight, fuelling uncertainty. His father’s week-long funeral processions drew millions of mourners across Iran and Iraq, with banners openly calling for Trump’s death. Trump declared the ceasefire “over” on Friday, even as he said negotiations would continue. With the Hormuz deadline looming and no sign of diplomatic progress, the path to a permanent agreement remains blocked by irreconcilable demands over the strategic waterway and the broader question of mutual compliance.