Iran warns U.S. of ‘severe retaliation’ if it targets new supreme leader
TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to Russia warned the United States that any move to target the country’s new supreme leader would invite “severe retaliation,” as hostilities among Iran, the U.S. and Israel entered a second week amid mounting casualties and regional disruption.
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- Ambassador Kazem Jalali told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that Iranians demand revenge and that Washington would face severe consequences if it strikes at Tehran’s leadership.
- Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader after the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint U.S.-Israeli operation.
- U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have hit Iranian targets for nearly two weeks, with thousands reported dead in Iran and at least 11 American service members killed.
- The conflict has spilled over into neighboring states and rattled oil markets via the Strait of Hormuz.
“The people are angry and demand revenge for the bloodshed,” Jalali said in the interview, adding that the United States “has faced and will face severe retaliation in the future” if it continues pursuing Iran’s leadership. His remarks reflect the sharp escalation in rhetoric and force since late February, when a U.S.-led campaign began hitting targets across Iran.
Iran’s ruling clerics on March 8 elevated Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of his father, a turning point that hardened Tehran’s posture. Mojtaba Khamenei has been reported wounded and has not appeared publicly since assuming the role, though Iranian authorities say he remains in charge.
Over nearly two weeks, U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have hit thousands of sites in Iran, killing high-ranking officials and civilians and damaging key infrastructure, according to Iranian accounts. The Pentagon has surged additional forces into the region, and U.S. officials say at least 11 American troops have died in the fighting.
The war’s fallout has extended beyond Iran’s borders. Missile and drone strikes have been reported in neighboring countries, widening the battlefield and testing regional air defenses. Shipping and energy markets have been rattled by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a significant share of the world’s oil flows, raising fears of longer-term economic and security consequences.
Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to respond against U.S. and allied targets, framing the airstrikes as an attack on the Islamic Republic’s sovereignty and political system. The ambassador’s warning underscores Tehran’s effort to deter any operation against the new supreme leader at a precarious moment for the country’s leadership and military.
Even as the conflict grinds into a second week, there is little sign of de-escalation. Iran’s promise of retaliation, the continued deployment of U.S. assets to the region, and the reported casualties on both sides point to a volatile period ahead. With Mojtaba Khamenei’s status under close watch and public anger inside Iran cited by officials, the risk of miscalculation remains high across a theater already crowded with drones, missiles and naval assets.
For now, Jalali’s message — delivered via a Russian state media outlet — signals Iran’s red lines as the crisis deepens: any strike on the nation’s new leader, he said, would meet a swift and punishing response.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
